Wake Up! It’s a Great Day – Mattress and Beyond

For nearly two years, Laz Hernandez was confined mostly to a bed and wheelchair. A serious accident had broken his neck and left him paralyzed, and every small step back toward independence came slowly, deliberately, and on the terms of his own body. During his recovery, rest wasn’t just a comfort—it was medicine. 

Laz came to the United States from Cuba, arriving first in Kansas City—stepping off the plane in short sleeves into a snowstorm. Not long after his arrival, he was in a terrible car accident, and he was forced to adapt and aid his recovery in every way possible.

The right mattress meant the difference between healing and hurting, between a night that restored him and one that set him back. But when he went looking for help finding one, the people who should have guided him made him feel like a burden instead. “When you have that halo on your head, people sometimes don’t look at you the right way,” he says. It was an experience he never forgot—and a wrong he quietly resolved to make right.

Once Laz was back on his feet, he moved to Miami and channeled that resolve into action, going to work for a company that manufactures and sells mattresses. He opened several stores for them in Miami and then in Chicago—until the cold winters reminded him how much he preferred warm weather. In 2006, with friends already living in the sunny Florida Keys, Laz made the move and opened Mattress and Beyond in Key Largo. He’s been here ever since.

That early experience as a vulnerable customer never left him, and effects how he runs his business every day. “When someone approaches me with a problem, I listen carefully, ask questions, and try to help them.” For Laz, delivering a mattress isn’t just a transaction—it’s an intimate act of trust. “People’s bedrooms are their sanctuary, and they’re inviting me to help them make it a place of rest and comfort.” He takes that responsibility seriously, and his customers have noticed.

For twenty years, Mattress and Beyond has grown from carrying a single brand to a curated showroom of trusted brands, including the renowned Tempur-Pedic. But the mattress gaining the most popularity recently is the Spring Air Back Supporter Francesca—and for good reason. Hotels like Baker’s Cay Resort Key Largo have chosen it, as have countless local vacation rentals throughout the Keys.

“The Francesca delivers ultra comfort at an accessible price.” To celebrate Mattress and Beyond’s 20th anniversary, Laz is offering $200 off a Francesca King mattress set and $100 off its Queen set as a thank-you gift to the community that has supported him from the start.

When he’s not at the store, you might find Laz at one of his favorite Keys restaurants, out on the water fishing with friends, or traveling to the Bahamas, Cuba, or Puerto Rico. Whether waking up to go to work or to play, Laz tries to make the most of every day. It’s a perspective that traces back to the time where he almost lost everything. 

“When you nearly die, when you lose your independence, you realize how much you took for granted. Now I wake up every day expecting it to be a great day.” 

Laz would like you to wake up to a great day, too—starting with the perfect mattress. To take advantage of the 20th anniversary specials, visit the Mattress and Beyond showroom in Key Largo or call Laz at (305)451-4849.
mattressandbeyond.com

– Jerrica Mah is a writer, Army wife, and freelance book editor who loves to travel vicariously through stories.