72-Year-Old Retiree Falls While Delivering Pizza To Make Ends Meet — Customer Delivers Her A Gift Of His Own In Response
Now she can really retire.
TikTok Most people who stay in lengthy careers do so with the goal of retiring one day and living out their golden years in a peaceful and stress-free way. We dream of traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Unfortunately, for many people those desires don’t pan out. As a matter of fact, 26.6% of people between 65 and 74 are still working to meet financial obligations.
One 72-year-old great-grandmother understands this all too well. She retired from working in the school cafeteria but was forced to take a job as a Domino's Pizza delivery driver to make ends meet.
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A viral TikTok shows the elderly deliver driver falling while delivering food.
Barbara Gillespie was dropping off a pizza order to a customer when she tripped and fell, food scattering all over the front porch. The incident was captured on a Ring security camera and shared on TikTok.
In the video, Gillespie tries to navigate the step leading to the customer’s front door slowly, while balancing a stack of pizza boxes. She misses a step and trips, falling forward and narrowly missing a rocking chair with her head.
As the fallen woman attempts to get up, she can be heard apologizing repeatedly for ‘ruining the customer’s meal.’
A concerned man steps out of the house and asks Gillespie if she is okay. She tells him she fell but continues to express worry about her fall, asking, “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” while helping her up.
It turns out the man, Kevin Keigher was a firefighter. After finding out Gillespie was a ‘lunch lady’ who had retired from her job, but picked up shifts at the fast food franchise for extra income, he and his wife, Lacey knew they had to do something.
That something was first to visit Gillespie at the local pizzeria where she worked and give her flowers the following day. But that wasn’t all. The couple also delivered some astonishing news to the shocked retiree.
They had started a GoFundMe in an effort to collect ‘tips’ to help Barbara Gillespie with any of her needs.
The couple and their two children had decided to collect money on behalf of Gillespie. According to them, they wanted to “show her some kindness and take off some of this burden that our economy is causing the older generations especially.”
People wasted no time contributing to the elderly woman’s financial needs. As of the morning of February 13, 2023, that GoFundMe fundraiser has raised almost $250,000 to support Gillespie.
The public also posted many well wishes to the GoFundMe page. One woman stated, “Sending so much care your way, Barbara. You are an incredible and strong, strong human. I hope you treat yourself with much love and care you overdue deserving.”
A man who made a $20 donation to the campaign could relate to Gillespie’s plight. He said, “Barbara reminds me of my own Grandma, who was also a lunch lady. I can tell she has a kind heart. Enjoy your retirement!”
For Gillespie, the kind gesture was unexpected. She told Inside Edition reporters, “I was so awestruck. I thought I was in a dream. I still today have to keep pinching [myself].”
Because of the generosity of customers all across the country, Gillespie announced that she can finally retire. Hopefully, in the near future, our older generations can stop working and live financially secure lives without enduring what Gillespie had to.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.