It was a typical day for Barbara Gillespie, an elderly person who delivered pizzas for Domino’s Pizza. The old lady was used to traveling around South Carolina and navigating through streets to reach the customer’s home.
That day, Lacey Klein made an order for her family in the hopes that they would enjoy dinner at home. She had no idea that an unexpected event was waiting for her at her front door.
After receiving Klein’s order, the restaurant promptly prepared it, and Gillespie volunteered to deliver it to the family’s residence. Gillespie, like many older adults, worked hard not because she enjoyed it but because she needed the money to survive.
After years of service as a school lunch lady, Gillespie was unable to unwind at home, although other ladies her age were enjoying their retirement. Her circumstances compelled her to deliver pizzas for a living, a physically demanding occupation.
Gillespie never grumbled about her hardships in life and was always there at work to meet her obligations. She worked as hard as her younger coworkers despite having less energy than them.
That fateful day, when Gillespie reached Klein’s front porch, she struggled to walk while carrying a stack of food boxes on her right arm and a bag in her left. The security camera outside the residence had been recording the old woman’s every move the whole time.
Gillespie placed her left foot forward as she approached the door and noticed there was a step. She depended on her calculations since she couldn’t see the ground due to the food crates obstructing her view. She placed her left foot on the step, followed by her right foot, but was unable to maintain her balance and fell to the ground.
As Gillespie tumbled down the stairs, she landed on her right side while the food boxes flew to the other side. The video captured her collapse, indicating that she attempted to cling onto the chairs on the porch to prevent her fall, but to no avail.
At this time, the old woman was more concerned about ruining Klein’s order. She thought she would hurt herself if the chair’s armrest had struck her face, but client happiness remained her first concern.
A few seconds later, Kevin Keighron, the husband of Klein, walked from his home and was astonished to discover the old delivery lady on the ground. She said “Yes” when he asked whether she was alright, but she destroyed his lunch.
Klein and Keighron were astonished to learn that the pizza delivery lady was still working at the age of 72, although Gillespie said she was terrified by the event. Klein said it breaks her heart to watch older people working to pay their expenses and keep up with the economy when they should be retired and enjoying their lives.
Klein could connect with the lady since her deceased father and father-in-law were both workers. She felt Gillespie’s suffering and made the decision to assist her.
Klein started a GoFundMe campaign on February 2, 2023, to assist Gillespie in taking time off from work. Prior to that, she published the security camera video on TikTok in the hopes that others who saw the old woman’s fall would feel compassion for her. She had no idea that her attempts would result in a life-altering event.
@momofthe5ks Our dominos delivery driver fell on our front porch today and my heart just hurts for her. She’s clearly having a hard time. She was so worried about our food but all we cared about was that she was okay. I’m so sad for her @dominos #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #dominospizza ♬ original sound – Lacey Keighron
The TikTok video quickly went viral, and netizens gave handsomely to the online fundraising. As of the time of this writing, Klein has collected $248,992 from over 15,400 contributions, and the amount continues to climb.
Meanwhile, Gillespie was unaware of this until the following day, when Klein’s family paid her a visit. Gillespie was astonished to find Klein’s family at her office, since she was unaware of her popular video or online fundraising. They presented her with flowers and then informed her about the GoFundMe page, to which the elderly woman replied that she was going to faint.
Klein had anticipated that the benefit would generate sufficient funds for Gillespie to spend a few days at home. Nevertheless, the reaction was so overwhelming that the elderly woman was able to leave her job permanently. Klein sent a status update on her Facebook page– “Guys!!! Barbara put in her 2-week notice at work yesterday!!! She’s officially retiring! So excited for her.”
Guys!!! Barbara put in her 2 week notice at work yesterday!!! She’s officially retiring! So excited for her ❤️
Posted by Lacey Keighron on Thursday, 9 February 2023
After the sorrowful video went viral, netizens could not resist sending Gillespie messages of encouragement.
After retirement, Gillespie will be able to remain at home with her family and enjoy life and her grandkids, including Klein’s kids, who now refer to her as their grandmother and adore her. We hope that the old lady’s life will be filled with nothing but pleasure.
