Mom creates hospice beauty service after grandmother refuses to see her on deathbed
This story first appeared on Babble and is reprinted with permission.
When Kimberly Gyomory's grandmother, Rosemary Shaller, lay on her deathbed, she only had one wish: That none of her beloved children would see her.
It sounds shocking, but as Kimberly describes, Rosemary (pictured above holding Kimberly's daughter, Aubrey) was a woman whose appearance was very important to her.
"She always had her hair, makeup, and nails done by 6 A.M. (I swear), and she looked so glamorous in her silky robe, pouring me Cheerios in [the morning] when I would stay the night," Kimberly remembers.
Kimberly has such fond memories of growing up with her grandmother, a woman who was loved by her family and the entire community. So her heart was absolutely broken when Rosemary was put on hospice at home after an extended illness. As she neared the end of her life, Rosemary's decision to not see any of her grandchildren, "broke all of our hearts," says Kimberly.
Although Kimberly was heartbroken to not be able to say goodbye to her grandmother, she took the loss of the family's beloved matriarch and turned it into an opportunity to help others.
This is how Kimily's Rose Compassionate Beauty Care, named after Rosemary, was born. Kimberly, 28 and a mother of three, says the idea for the business came to her at a point when she was "in a rut" about her own career.
Knowing how important it had been for her grandmother to feel her best even at the end of her life, Kimberly felt in her heart that providing beauty services to those who were homebound was a service that was desperately needed. After many months of hard work, Kimberly partnered with a hospice company in the Southeastern Michigan area, that was able to contract her to help their patients. "It's amazing because I don't ask the patient for a dime," she explains. "I offer my services and bill their hospice company."
Image Source: Kimberly Gyomory
With her new business, Kimberly is able to go directly to her clients' homes or residence areas to give haircuts, hair styles, manicures, and eyebrow and beard trims.
Kimberly is not only an inspiring young mother who is creating an entire business from scratch, but she is honoring her grandmother in such a beautiful way, while also touching the lives of so many. Recently, Kimberly told me, was having one of "those days," questioning if what she was doing was worth it or making a difference. She then shared several stories of why she does what she does, and how much her clients appreciate it:
Kimberly also shared a story of a simple haircut she performed on one gentleman:
Making a difference in the lives of others is what matters to Kimberly, and she is enjoying the benefits of owning her time for the first time in her life, too. Her new business allows her to better balancing work and motherhood by being in complete control of her schedule. She starts her workday after her kids go to school, and returns by the time they get off the bus. If paperwork needs to be done, she can do it after they go to bed. "I am still the mom I want to be as well as the business owner I want to become," she says.
Kimberly hopes to take her business even further, telling me of her plan to reach out to Michigan celebrity, Kid Rock. "He has such a special spot in his heart for veterans," says Kimberly. "I am trying to find a way to reach out to him to provide this service to veterans on hospice. I know that I am shooting high and some may laugh, but that's OK! Because I am not going to live a life of 'what if.'"
"My life has taken such an amazing turn," Kimberly says simply. "I'm still working on getting to where I want to be financially, but that is OK. I love the hustle and drive and hard work! I love what I do and who I do it for! I thank God everyday for blessing me."
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