The shrine at Vasos' desk. Photo / Twitter
A local TV reporter from the US has gone viral after he accidentally let thousands of people in his company he was going to be off sick for the day.
Nick Vasos, who works as a traffic reporter in Kansas City, Missouri for Kansas City FOX4, meant to send the short email to just a few colleagues on Friday.
But in what turned out to be a monumental slip-up, he used the wrong email address — instead letting the entire company, made up of almost 200 TV stations, know.
Within minutes, people at NexStar, FOX4's parent company, started responding to Vasos's email, smashing him with well wishes, news.com.au reports.
"Feel better, Nick! You're in our thoughts! From your friends in Vegas," Nikki Bowers, a social media and marketing producer from Las Vegas, wrote.
"Get better bud," evening news anchor Angie Quezada from North Carolina added.
Dozens of other people continued to reply and Vasos's own colleagues in his office jumped in on the joke, creating a "shrine" at his desk.
Nick out sick is my new favorite thing. #NexstarNation #NickStrong pic.twitter.com/Td96i31WJu
— Austin Kellerman (@AustinKellerman) November 22, 2019
Don’t worry #NexstarNation, we here at @FOX4KC are keeping @NickVasos in our prayers until he comes back to work healthy and strong. #PrayersforNick pic.twitter.com/GnXJdzuDty
— Jonathan McCall (@JonathanMcCall) November 22, 2019
Look who made the CBS evening news! @NickVasos #PrayersForNick #NickisSick #NickStrong #NexstarNation pic.twitter.com/1IYYU8Pn0i
— Rob Collins (@RCFOX4KC) November 22, 2019
Oh my. @AbbyEden I love my @fox4kc colleagues. You all are so supportive when someone is not feeling well. Thanks for #PrayersForNick https://t.co/UcgsPOyNW7
— Nick Vasos (@NickVasos) November 22, 2019
Staying #NickStrong @fox4kc! If laughter is the best medicine @NickVasos will be back Monday! #PrayersForNick #nickoutsick #NexstarNation pic.twitter.com/aRozRvjbIw
— Loren Halifax (@lorenhalifax) November 22, 2019
NexStar eventually killed the email chain but, journos being journos, the hashtag #PrayersForNick had already gone viral.
They can take away our emails, but they can't take away our #PrayersForNick pic.twitter.com/jrXGnoG1iS
— Masked Sam (@Holtzue) November 22, 2019
#PrayersforNick #NexstarNation pic.twitter.com/NILIb7RQQR
— Chief Keith Monahan, CBM (@ChiefKeith) November 22, 2019
Close to 20,000 people jumped in on the hashtags and wishing Vasos well.
The TV reporter had decided to take the sick day after minor oral surgery on Thursday.
And Vasos seems to be taking it all in his stride, retweeting some of the wellwishers — including Kansas Police — and thanking them all for their support.
Thanks #KC’s finest. https://t.co/sNxPhgf1K4
— Nick Vasos (@NickVasos) November 23, 2019
Hey Rob! Appreciate the well wishes from these South Carolina students. I’m getting better. https://t.co/2MyfR8guXL
— Nick Vasos (@NickVasos) November 22, 2019