AJ Nelson is a former first responder with the Ingram Volunteer Fire Department who lost everything in her hair salon.
INGRAM, Texas — Just two weeks after celebrating a grand re-opening, Vintage Hair Co. in Kerr County was completely destroyed by historic flooding on July 4.
AJ Nelson says it’s hard to ask for help. She’s a former first responder with the Ingram Volunteer Fire Department who lost everything in her hair salon.
“I had more fish in my salon than I had possessions,” Nelson said. “Initially I couldn’t get to my business and to keep that calm that I needed to get through, I went and did the next best thing I knew to do which was help at the fire department.”
Nelson lost $35,000 worth of equipment, supplies and furniture at the salon but still served her community while not being able to see the state of her primary source of income.
“I called the chief and said, ‘What do you need?’ she said ‘I need you in here and take over,’” Nelson said. “Put out snacks, fill waters, whatever they needed. I was there.”
The mother of three teaching her kids the act of servitude.
“Hopefully they carry it with them for their lives,” she said.
Despite the devastation, Nelson says she is committed to staying in the community and reopening her doors again. A GoFundMe was created to help.
“I’m gonna be honest, I don’t remember that first 24 hours very much,” she said. “It’s kind of a blur. I do know I Facetimed my mom and her and my dad came up and I know we started pulling out stuff to see if anything could be salvaged.”
What the floodwaters didn’t sweep away, was her determination to rebuild.
“We’re going to come back, we’ll be stronger than we were before,” Nelson said.
To support AJ Nelson’s GoFundMe, click here.