‘When You’re Ready’: A Fireside Chat and Book Signing with the Author
Time: 5-7 p.m.
Location: Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital (Patient Dining Room)
414 Paoli Pike, Malvern, PA, USA
About the Book
An unforgettable and heartrending love story that will break your heart and piece it back together.
Kareem Rosser and Lee Lee Jones were young, beautiful, and deeply in love. Their love was a real-world romance that felt like a fairy tale: Kareem was raised in the Bottom—one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in Philadelphia—while Lee Lee was raised in the wealth of the Pennsylvania suburbs. They met and fell in love in the world of horses: Kareem, a nationally ranked polo player and Lee Lee, a legacy equestrian. The world was at their feet, a lifetime of joy and adventure ahead of them. But their love story is interrupted by a devastating accident, which almost costs Lee Lee her life, and destroys every plan and dream that Lee Lee and Kareem had made together.
In the months and years that follow, while Lee Lee struggles to heal, Kareem is crippled by ambiguous grief, for the woman that he loves and for the future he imagined for them both. He feels buried alive. In the space between debilitating grief and bursts of anxiety, he’s forced to finally face his demons: his tumultuous childhood, his latent mental health issues, the murders of his older brother and his best friend, and a life constantly lived in the grip of panic and fear.
Honest and captivating, When You’re Ready is a narrative that honors love in all its forms: first love, parental love, renewed love, and, most importantly, self-love. With notes on unresolved loss and second chances, it’s a story that will grab you by the heartstrings and uplift your soul.
Books will be available at the event!
About the Author
Kareem Rosser is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He received a BA in economics from Colorado State University (CSU). While at CSU, he led his collegiate polo team to a national polo championship. At the same time, he was honored as the intercollegiate polo player of the year. Kareem returned to Work to Ride, where he was originally introduced to polo, and now serves as the Executive Vice President. He lives with his family in Philadelphia.
About Lee Lee
Lee Lee Jones
On December 22, 2016, Lee Lee Jones was home for the Christmas holidays after completing her first semester in the University of Pennsylvania’s graduate program for a Master’s in social work. While riding a horse on her family farm, the horse spooked, causing them both to fall. Although Lee Lee was wearing a helmet, she was knocked unconscious.
She was airlifted to the Level 1 Trauma Center at Christiana Medical Center, where she was rushed into emergency surgery. Due to significant brain swelling, doctors removed part of her skull. Lee Lee barely survived the night and remained in a coma for 7½ weeks. She was diagnosed with Diffuse Axonal Injury, a severe traumatic brain injury.
During her time in the ICU at Christiana, Lee Lee faced numerous complications, including pneumonia, MRSA, severe respiratory distress syndrome, and neuro storming. Once stabilized, she was transferred to Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital in an emergent state—non-verbal, almost completely paralyzed, and only able to open her eyes slightly.
Over her nine-month inpatient stay at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital and continued outpatient therapy over the past eight years, Lee Lee has made remarkable progress. She relearned how to swallow, walk, and perform daily activities. Thanks to the dedicated and experienced team at BMRH, Lee Lee has regained significant independence. She can now eat on her own, perform small tasks, and enjoy games. Her speech and memory continue to improve, and she delights in puzzles, listening to music, and spending time with her animals. Lee Lee also loves dining out with friends and family.
Lee Lee’s family is eternally grateful to the medical staff at Christiana Hospital and the compassionate team at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital—including nurses, aides, therapists, doctors, and staff—whose expertise and care have given Lee Lee a second chance at life.
First Picture: Lee Lee with her mom, Evie, and sisters, Olivia and Mary.
Second Picture: Lee Lee with her beloved cat, Nala.
About the Fund
About The Lee Lee Jones Patient Assistance Endowment
The Lee Lee Jones Patient Assistance Endowment Fund was established in 2025 by When You're Ready author Kareem Rosser and Lee Lee's family and friends in honor of Lee Lee's strength and resilience, and the dedication and commitment of her BMRH care team. Endowment income provides financial support for patients and families who have a need for therapy, medical equipment, or other items or services vital to the patient’s recovery, and who otherwise do not have the ability to pay.
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