Through partnership, Taylor Rooks’ foundation helps eliminate $2 million in medical debt for residents of her Georgia hometown

The Gwinnett County native shared in a video the importance of unburdening individuals of medical debt and a personal story about why it meant so much to her.

Taylor Rooks is paying it forward.

The sports journalist and studio host for Amazon Prime’s NBA coverage announced on Wednesday that the Taylor Rooks Foundation and non-profit organization Undue Medical Debt have wiped out more than $2 million in medical debt for more than 1,800 residents in Rooks’ hometown of Gwinnett County, Georgia.

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Medical debt has become one of the silent killers for families in America. According to a 2018 survey by the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), nearly 28 percent of households with a Black householder had medical debt, compared to 17 percent for a household with a white non-Hispanic householder. Per a 2022 study from the National Consumer Law Center, households in the South, the region of the United States that has the most Black people, carry more medical debt than every other region.

Those statistics weren’t the only reason the Taylor Rooks Foundation and Undue Medical Debt made it a mission to help families in Georgia. The moment also hit close to home for the former TNT broadcaster.

“My baby sister has Type 1 Diabetes,” Rooks said. “So I know firsthand just how medical bills can pile up; sometimes it can feel like you’re drowning, and it seems like there’s nothing you can do about it.”

She added, “This kind of relief has real impact. It eases financial stresses that many carry with them silently and gives people the ability to focus on their health, their families and everything that comes next.”

Rooks said her foundation would continue the work by expanding access, removing barriers, and creating real opportunities for people to rebuild their financial stability. In her Instagram caption, she thanked those who support the foundation’s mission.

Launched in 2025, the Taylor Rooks Foundation’s mission is to build “a future rooted in equity, where everyone has the resources to not just survive but to build a better tomorrow.” With her latest move, Rooks has already set the path for how TRF will likely impact others along the way.