Friends, family pass it on to hospitalized business owner

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Moving day for a Bartlett stylist didn’t go quite as planned. The day she was scheduled to open her new salon she got sick.

She’s been sick ever since. While she recovers, her family and friends have come together to help shore up her business. They contacted WREG to help pass it on.

“She was determined to get her shop moved. And then finally, on opening day, she went to the hospital, to the emergency room. The infection got worse and she ended up in the ICU,” said Chris Blaylock, Playmaker.

Blaylock and his wife Nicole contacted WREG to pass it on to his friend and hair stylist of 30 years, Kelly Rook. Rook has been sick for weeks now and on the day WREG met up with her friends and family she was still in the Intensive Care Unit.

“We just wanted to help her because she’s a small business owner and she’s not able to work right now,” Blaylock said. “So this is going to be financially hard on her. So we just wanted to come up with a way to help her out. So we reached out to you guys to do that.”

WREG counted out $600 to give to Rook – $300 from WREG and $300 from anonymous donors. Blaylock sweetened the pot by adding an additional $700 from other anonymous donors.

Rook’s mom and sister were present at the time and moved to tears by the gesture.

“Having that time off is hard. She’s self-employed. If she doesn’t work, she makes no money. And this is going to be like a miracle for her, too,” said Sandi Myrick, Rook’s sister.

📡 See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South .

📧 Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox.

Rook’s workstation is decorated with all her favorite people and things. They want the fun, loving, caring stylist with the big personality and infectious smile to see how much she was missed when she returns to work.

But, she won’t have to wait to see how much she’s loved. Her family and friends Facetime with her from the hospital so she can see them passing on a financial blessing that will help her come back.

Kelly Rook is improving but it will likely be months before she’s able to work again. They’ve set up a donation box at her workstation and are taking donations for those rubber bracelets that say Kelly’s Komeback on them.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.