Published on August 8, 2018

Watch Over My Parents : so much more than a service

As the granddaughter of a postman and daughter of a postwoman, you might say that Cindy Hestling was born to be a mail carrier herself.

She loves the job because it’s « never the same two days in the row and is jam-packed with opportunities to see people » . She had developed a trusting relationship with retired couple Roma and Gustave when, on Saturday 20 February, there was an unexpected turn of events.

Since she makes weekly visits to the couple as part of « Watch Over My Parents » service, Cindy knows that at a certain time of the day, their shutters are always open. And yet that morning, even though Cindy wasn't making an official round, she noticed the shutters were closed. Straight away, she knew something was wrong. She opened the door and found the couple lying on the ground. One of them had fallen down and taken the other with them. Cindy reassured them, called the fire service, and let the couple’s family know what had happened. Fortunately, this story had a happy ending.

Our « Watch Over My Parents » service regularly provides isolated elderly people with a breath of fresh air. It adds a social element to postmen’s visits which, given that their work is built around human relationships, has proven to be far more than just a simple service.