72-Year-old Grandma Falls While Delivering Pizzas, Gets Over $240,000 After People See It

When a heartbreaking video of a 72-year-old woman stumbling on the front porch of a house while delivering pizzas surfaced on the internet, people felt bad for her.

Soon, they united in her support, and their kind efforts changed the elderly lady’s life forever.

It was a regular day for senior citizen Barbara Gillespie, who worked as a pizza delivery rider for Domino’s Pizza. Riding around South Carolina and navigating through streets to reach the customer’s house was routine for the elderly woman.

That day, Lacey Klein placed an order for her family, hoping they would enjoy dinner at home. Little did she know that an unexpected incident was waiting for her at her doorstep.

After receiving Klein’s order, the restaurant prepared it quickly, and Gillespie gladly agreed to drop it at the family’s doorstep. Like many senior citizens, Gillespie worked hard not because she liked it but because she needed the money to make ends meet.

While other women her age were enjoying their lives after retirement, Gillespie couldn’t relax at home after working for years as a school lunch lady. Her circumstances forced her to deliver pizzas for a living―a job that required lots of physical exertion.

Gillespie never complained about her life struggles and always showed up at work to fulfill her responsibilities. She worked like her younger co-workers despite having less energy than them because of her age.

As Gillespie approached Klein’s front porch that fateful day, she struggled to walk carrying a pile of food boxes on her right arm while holding a bag with her left hand. All this time, the security camera outside the home captured the elderly lady’s every step.

She could feel Gillespie’s pain and decided to do something to help her.
While walking towards the door, Gillespie put her left foot forward and realized there was a step. She couldn’t see the ground because the food boxes blocked her line of sight, so she relied on her calculations. She put her left foot on the step, then her right foot, but couldn’t hold her balance and landed on the ground.

As Gillespie tripped on the stair, she fell to her right side while the boxes of food flew to the other side. The camera recorded her fall revealing she tried to hold on to the chairs on the front porch to keep her from falling to the ground, but nothing worked.

At this moment, the elderly lady was more worried that she had ruined Klein’s order. She thought she’d hurt herself if the chair’s armrest had hit her face, but her priority was still her customer’s satisfaction.

A few moments later, Klein’s husband, Kevin Keighron, emerged from his house and was shocked to see the elderly delivery woman lying on the ground. He asked her if she was okay, to which she replied:

“I ruined your food. I fell.”

While Gillespie said she was frightened by the incident, Klein and Keighron were shocked after realizing the pizza delivery woman was still working at 72. Klein said:

“It makes me heartbroken to see anyone elderly having to work to keep up with the economy and pay bills when they should be retired and enjoying their lives.”

Klein could relate to the woman because her father and father-in-law also used to work before they passed away. She could feel Gillespie’s pain and decided to do something to help her.

On February 2, 2023, Klein created a GoFundMe page to help Gillespie take some time off work. Before that, she uploaded the security camera footage on TikTok, hoping people would sympathize with the elderly lady after watching her fall. Little did she know that her kind efforts would lead to something life-changing.

Soon, the TikTok video went viral, and netizens generously donated to the online fundraiser. As of this writing, Klein has raised $248,992 through more than 15,400 donations, and the numbers are still growing.

Meanwhile, Gillespie had no idea about this until Klein’s family visited her the next day. Unaware of her viral video and the online fundraiser, Gillespie was shocked to see Klein’s family at her workplace. They gave her flowers and then told her about the GoFundMe page, to which the elderly lady responded:

“I’m going to faint!”

Klein’s initial expectation was that the fundraiser would raise enough money for Gillespie to stay home for a few days. However, the response was so tremendous that it allowed the elderly lady to quit her work for good. Klein posted an update on her Facebook profile:

“Guys!!! Barbara put in her 2-week notice at work yesterday!!! She’s officially retiring! So excited for her.”

After the heartbreaking video went viral, netizens couldn’t help but send messages of support for Gillespie. Here’s what they said:

“That’s a good woman with an amazing heart. The fact that she took a spill that hard and was more worried about ruining the family’s dinner than her actually being hurt shows how compassionate she is. I’m glad she’s now retired! Prayers to her and her new family!”

“What a sweet ending, but it’s such a shame that some of our elderly have to rely on the generosity of strangers online to retire.”

“With all the bad happening in the world today, it’s very nice to hear this story. It brought a tear of joy to my eyes, knowing she and that family now have a relationship, and they call her Grandma.”

After retiring, Gillespie can stay home with her family and enjoy her life and her grandchildren, including Klein’s children who now also call her their grandma and love her dearly. We wish the elderly lady all the best and hope her life brings her nothing but happiness.

Related Posts

MY DAUGHTER SWITCHED SEATS MID-FLIGHT—AND I FOUND OUT WHY TOO LATE It was supposed to be a quiet flight. Just me and my daughter, Reyna, heading to Phoenix to see my sister. I’d packed snacks, downloaded a few cartoons on the iPad, and even brought her unicorn plushie that she won’t sleep without. We boarded early, settled into our seats—me by the window, Reyna in the middle. I had just started zoning out, watching the tarmac, when I realized she was no longer beside me. I turned my head and there she was, squished in next to a man across the aisle, looking up at him like she knew him. “Reyna,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “Come back over here, baby.” She turned to me with the most serious face I’ve ever seen on a four-year-old and said, “No, I wanna sit with Grandpa.” I laughed awkwardly. “Sweetie, that’s not Grandpa.” The man looked just as confused as I was. “I’m sorry,” he said, glancing between us. “I’ve never met her before.” But Reyna didn’t budge. She grabbed the man’s arm with both hands and leaned in like she was guarding him. “She knows me,” she insisted. “You’re Grandpa Mike.” My stomach dropped. Not because I recognized the guy—he was a stranger to me—but because of the name. Mike. That’s my dad’s name. The dad who left when I was seven. The one Reyna’s never met. The one I never talk about. I tried to laugh it off again, but something about the way Reyna kept staring at him made my chest tighten. The man looked just as shaken as I felt. Then he said something I didn’t expect.⬇️ Continue reading in the first comment 👇

The flight was supposed to be silent. I’m travelling to Phoenix with my daughter, Reyna, to see my sister. I had packed food, downloaded a few videos…

If you don’t get enough of this 1 vitamin, your skin may lose elasticity and develop wrinkles. Full article 👇 💬

Vitamin C is a vital nutrient that plays a crucial role in maintaining the health and vitality of our skin. It is a powerful antioxidant that helps…

A message on the back of an SUV went viral after being shared on Reddit, quickly earning praise for the driver.. (check in first comment👇)

After being uploaded online, a phrase scrawled on the rear of an SUV swiftly gained popularity. After a Reddit user posted a picture of the driver on…

It’s been called the worst thing you can do. 😨(check in first comment👇)

Waking up in the middle of the night can be frustrating, but trying too hard to fall back asleep can make it worse. Sleep experts recommend not…

I was shocked to learn why some window grills curve at the bottom – most people don’t know the real reason! 🤯👇Continue in first comment👇

Window bars are commonly installed for security purposes, but some feature a distinctive “potbelly” design, where the center of the bar bulges outward. This unique shape serves…

The full story is in the comments.⬇️

Samuel, come here.” Sam hesitated. His father rarely used his full name unless something was wrong. He entered the living room to find his father, eyes red…