Something didn’t sit well with Instacart shopper Jessica Higgs after she delivered groceries to the elderly customer who seemed pale and unsteady on his feet and didn’t look well when he answered the door to pick up his food order.
The Georgia mom said she received the order from a woman who was ordering food for her elderly dad, along with instructions to just leave the package on the porch, according to Instacart policy. However, after witnessing the elderly man’s physical condition, she became alarmed that he may be in immediate danger.
Higgs shared the story of her recent delivery through an emotional TikTok video, while seated in the front seat of her car. “I just want to start this off by saying, if you see something, say something. I did an Instacart order yesterday and I’m a little emotional right now … It was a daughter ordering for her older dad that couldn’t shop for himself.”
“Something was telling me, ‘No, you gotta help this man out’,” she recalled telling herself.
Against company policy, Jessica offered to help him bring the groceries inside.
“I used my judgment and I brought the groceries inside and I put them down wherever he wanted me to put them, and you’re not supposed to but I did,” she continued.
Once inside the house, the elderly man’s condition continued showing signs of physical distress, which concerned Jessica. So she decided (against Instacart’s protocol) to message his daughter.
“I said, ‘If I say that the order is complete, I won’t be able to message you and I want to tell you this’.” Jessica said.
She told the woman that she noticed there was a propane tank in her father’s home. When she decided to check it out, she became extremely dizzy once she got to about 5 feet from it. She believed there was likely a gas leak coming from the propane tank permeating throughout the house, making her father sick.
The daughter responded and said she would have her son stop by.
The next morning, Jessica saw that the woman had increased the tip on the order from $14 to $100.
Jessica, of course, was grateful for the generous tip, along with the 5-star review she received from the daughter and the heartfelt message that made her instantly break down in tears.
The message read; “Thank you so much, once my son went to check on my dad it turned out it definitely was leaking, you definitely saved my dad and my younger son’s life!!!”
Jessica concluded her story with a reminder.
“I’m just an Instacart worker,” she said through tears. “But if you see something, say something. I’m so happy I did.”
Jessica’s emotional video has thus far received almost 17 million views and 183.5K comments, including those by supermodel Bella Hadid and Disney star Dove Cameron.
“You are not ‘just an insta cart worker’!!!!!! U R helping people every single day in ways u probably don’t even know. Thank U for being U!!!!!!!” Hadid wrote.
“i don’t have words for how much this moved me . i’m so grateful that you exist,” commented Cameron.
Instacart also recognized Jessica’s life-saving act of kindness.
“We are constantly inspired by the incredible people who choose to be Instacart shoppers and intentionally make a positive impact in the lives of others. This story touched our hearts and we are grateful for shoppers like Jessica.”
“Word-to-the-wise”, NEVER store propane gas tanks indoors (a garage is indoors). Aside from a potential gas leak that can slowly kill you, the gas is highly flammable. Symptoms of propane inhalation include dizziness, headaches, nausea, and irregular heartbeat.
Thankfully, this story has a happy ending.
Georgia-based Instacart employee Jessica Higgs went out of her way during an ordinary delivery and saved an elderly man’s life. https://t.co/gPXb4P2GVD
— My Modern Met (@mymodernmet) February 17, 2022
This story syndicated with permission from My Faith News