By LISA HERMAN
Norton Telegram
NORTON — After learning of the tragic COVID-19 outbreak at the local Andbe Home facility, a Kansas veteran with ties to our community felt called to offer help and recently did so in a tremendously impactful way.
Last Wednesday, November 4, Travis Hansen, owner of the Topeka-based Bio-One franchise, and two members of his team made the 10-hour round trip to Norton to disinfect and sanitize the Andbe Home facility completely free of charge. Named by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the best Crime and Trauma Scene Clean Up franchises in the nation, Bio-One specializes in disinfection, sanitation, and decontamination.
For Travis, offering the services to our local nursing home at absolutely no cost — a nearly $20,000 value given the mileage and time it took to disinfect and sanitize — was a way of giving back to the Andbe Home and extending to them his appreciation for the compassionate care the facility had provided to his grandmother when she resided there several years ago.
After the facility’s COVID-19 outbreak made national headlines several weeks ago, Megan Mapes, Andbe Home Administrator, began receiving an overwhelming number of calls from companies wanting to sell biohazard cleaning products and services to the facility. When
Travis Hansen reached out to Megan to offer his services, she said it was his approach and caring tone that made a world of difference at a time when many other callers had taken a more “wheeler-dealer” and less sincere approach. “After he told me about his company and what he could provide for us in this difficult time, he said something that moved me in such a troubling time,” Megan said. Travis indicated he wished to offer his services to the Andbe Home facility free of charge. “Years ago, you took care of my grandma, Lenora, and she received wonderful care there and I want to repay you for that,” he explained.
Last Wednesday, November 4, Hansen and two dedicated members of his team, Tim Armstrong and Barry Blassingame, departed from Topeka and made their way across the state to reach the Andbe Home facility and begin the process of biohazard remediation. Donning hazmat suits and other protective personal equipment, Travis, Tim, and Barry deep cleaned every square inch of all the facility’s common areas, utilizing fogger machines to put out a fine mist of disinfectant, penetrate hard to clean areas, and effectively eliminate surface-based and airborne pathogens.
For Travis, hearing the news about the Andbe Home’s COVID-19 outbreak was heartbreaking. His grandmother, Lenora Hansen, resided at the Andbe Home for many years until she passed away in 2018. “They [the Andbe Home staff] took very good care of Grandma, making the last few years of her life as comfortable as possible,” he explained to the Telegram’s writer.
Travis grew up in Hays and now lives north of Topeka. He is the nephew of Earl and Barb Hansen, of Norton. His father, Lee, grew up in Lenora but now resides in Hays. Travis has two children, Caden and Cierra. He spent 13 years serving our country in the United States Army Reserve and the Air National Guard. For over two decades, he has worked in the traffic safety industry, dedicated to making our roadways safer. It had been a lifelong goal of his to own his own business so he could continue to help other people.
He has now owned Bio-One, the most trusted and referred clean up company in Topeka and the surrounding areas, for three years. He also owns Bobcats Bar and Grill, which is located on the north side of Perry Lake in Jefferson County, Kansas.
Bio-One specializes in all types of extreme cleaning and provides a variety of services, including: Blood Spill Cleanup; Crime Scene Cleanup; Decomposition / Undiscovered Death Cleanup; Emergency Vehicle Decontamination; Feces / Urine Cleanup; Hoarding Cleanup; Medical Waste Disposal; Mold Remediation; Odor Removal; Rodent Dropping Cleanup; Sewage Backups; Suicide Cleanup; and Teargas Cleanup. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a surge of business and state contracts for Bio-One as the need for disinfection, sanitation, and decontamination services has grown exponentially.
The motto of Bio-One has always been, “Help First, Business Second!” “It was important to us that we did our part to help keep the remaining residents and staff safe,” Travis stated in regards to the decision made to travel to the Andbe Home and offer help. “I’m sure Grandma would have been proud of the Bio-One team!”
What the Bio-One team did for our community is absolutely incredible! Megan said it brought tears to her eyes that someone would donate their time, mileage, and services. “It was a very caring and thoughtful gesture. We appreciate the timeliness and good services that Bio-One provided for our home,” she added.
An Outpouring of Support
“I am so moved by all the caring things that have happened since our outbreak,” Megan further stated. After news of the COVID-19 outbreak made headlines, Megan said people in town began to call to see if they could come into the facility to help work; the facility, however, could not allow this given the circumstances. Over the past couple weeks, community members have donated items to the facility such as trash cans and organizational carts, and many people have brought snacks and drinks for the staff and residents.
The facility even received a “comfort kit” from a business in Hawaii and it was full of different tropical shortbread cookies and macadamia nuts.
“We received letters from families, past family members of residents, church groups, other nursing homes and hospitals, and so much support and so many prayers. It was wonderful to see in this dark time and the facility and myself are so appreciative of the love and support of the community and businesses.”
The Andbe Home’s new management is continuing to work to restore compliance and continued licensure for the facility and Mapes will provide the Telegram with any new information she has to share with the community. Meanwhile, many prayers are still needed for the staff, the residents and their families, and the family members who are reeling from the loss of their loved one as a result of the heartbreaking COVID-19 outbreak at our local nursing home.
Republished with permission