Delisheeyo owner: Family photos, memorabilia lost in Hilton Head house fire
It’s the first Monday after Christmas, and delisheeyo is as busy as ever. With a smile, owner Blake Wearren assembles spring rolls packed with sprouts, beets, avocado and sauteed tofu.
Just last week, a car drove into the restaurant and Wearren’s house burned down — all in the same day. But Wearren remains upbeat.
“All things considered, everything is actually about as good as you can imagine,” Wearren said. “First day back, trying to get back to normal.”
A ‘total loss’
Around 2 a.m. on Dec. 21, Blake Wearren woke up to a call from police asking him to come to the restaurant.
A drunk driver had crashed into the front of the restaurant, damaging the front wall, door frame and porch area. Later that morning, Blake’s wife Maddie left the house with their eight month-old daughter Millie and met him at the restaurant to help survey the damage.
Minutes later, a fire broke out at the long-term rental home on Marshland Rd. Fire officials declared the house declared a “total loss.”
No one was inside the home when it caught on fire, and the Wearrens’ three pets were rescued by police and neighbors. But the couple lost nearly everything they had owned.
Pictures of grandparents and keepsakes from people that were no longer alive — gone. Every sports jersey Wearren had ever owned — gone. The nursery the Wearrens spent hours putting together for their new baby — gone.
“It’s still dawning on us, what we did have,” Wearren said.
Wearren, an avid gardener, had spent all summer canning peaches to hand out as Christmas gifts. He’d filled multiple shelves with bottles of peach jams and whole peaches — hours of work.
Wearren saw the remnants of the bottles after the fire. “They all just exploded,” he said.
Luckily, many of the Wearren’s files survived the fire, saving the family from having to re-order birth certificates or copies of tax returns.
The couple had no renters’ insurance, and their landlord had not insured the home either. But insurance “doesn’t give you the pictures back,” Wearren said.
Community support ‘overwhelming’
A week after the tragedy, customers are still popping into delisheeyo to deliver checks and envelopes of cash.
The Wearrens started a GoFundMe campaign to help rebuild after the fire, which has now raised over $67,000.
More donations have come in the form of Venmo, cash, checks and physical items. The Wearrens are still going through all the donations, and will donate any extra items to the Deep Well Project.
“It’s overwhelming,” Wearren said. “This was kind of a chance for us to see the value we have, to get to see who really cares.”
The family is currently staying for free at a short-term rental property on Bradley Beach, through the help of The Vacation Company, a local property management firm.
People don’t necessarily need to donate money or items to support the family, according to Wearren.
“One way is to just come to the shop and give us a normal day,” the restaurant owner said.
