An Instacart driver is being recognized for going above and beyond to bring attention to an elderly customer who looked unwell—saving his life in the process.
Jessica Higgs shared the story of her recent delivery through an emotional TikTok video.
The Georgia mom said she received an order from a woman who was ordering food for her elderly dad.
Jessica always goes the extra mile for clients, but for some inexplicable reason, she felt the need to go even further in “checking the back and everything” for this particular customer.
The daughter had instructed her to just leave the package on the porch—according to Instacart policy—but Jessica felt like she needed to do more.
“Something was telling me, ‘No, you gotta help this man out,’” she recalled in the clip.
When the man came out, Jessica offered to help him bring the groceries inside, which is against Instacart’s protocol. She was just supposed to take a photo and leave, but she couldn’t do it.
“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.
When Jessica noticed that the man looked “sick,” she got very concerned. So, she decided 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.
The Instacart driver told the woman that there was a propane tank in her father’s home. She said she stood five feet away from it and got dizzy, so she believed there was a gas leak.
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.
Although she’s grateful for the huge tip, what made her break down in tears was the five-star review the daughter had left her the next day.
“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.”
As of writing, Jessica’s video has received 16.7 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,” a rep for the company told TODAY.
Jessica later shared in the comments section that Instacart’s CEO had reached out to her after her story went viral, but she didn’t elaborate.
Propane gas tanks should never be stored indoors as it is highly flammable. Although it’s naturally odorless, companies add a chemical to give it a skunk or rotten egg smell so that leaks can be easily detected.
Symptoms of propane inhalation include dizziness, headaches, nausea, and irregular heartbeat.
Far worse things could have happened if Jessica hadn’t listened to her gut instinct. Luckily, she didn’t turn a blind eye and quickly took action when she noticed something was off.
Kudos to this Instacart driver for going above and beyond!
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