Instacart worker saved a life. Now she’s called ‘hero’ after sharing story on TikTok
One Instacart delivery person’s kindness toward a stranger has unexpectedly led to a shoutout from the company, a free Caribbean cruise and celebrities like Bella Hadid thanking her or labeling her a “hero.”
“If you see something, say something,” Jessica Higgs, a mom from Georgia, wrote on TikTok on Feb. 1.
The woman’s nearly three-minute long emotional video telling the story of one of her Instacart grocery deliveries has since received 3.8 million likes and over 16 million views on the platform.
Higgs’ delivery in Crandall started out in a typical fashion as she bought groceries for an man whose daughter paid for his order and instructed her to leave the purchases outside his home.
But her instincts told her something was off about this order.
“Something was telling me, ‘No you gotta help this man out,’” she said through tears. “He came out, and I was like, ‘OK let me help you,’ and I got the groceries. You’re not supposed to go inside someone’s house, but I used my judgment and I brought the groceries inside and put them down wherever he wanted me to put them down.”
According to Higgs, the older man looked sick, and after going into the home and noticing a propane tank nearby, she decided to say something.
“I could not just leave,” she said in the video.
Higgs messaged the daughter of the man on the Instacart app and told her that her father appeared sick and that Higgs herself was in his home for only a few minutes and felt dizzy.
“It’s very unprofessional for me to say something … I never talk, I always just put the groceries down and leave. This time, for whatever in my head, I thought ‘You gotta say something,’” she said.
The next morning, Higgs noticed her tip on the app had increased exponentially from $14 to $100. The daughter ended up sending her son to check on his grandfather, which ultimately saved his life.
“Thank you so much, once my son went to check on my dad it turned out it was definitely leaking,” the customer wrote to Higgs, referring to the propane tank. “You definitely saved my dad and my younger son’s life!”
“I’m just an Instacart worker, but if you see something, say something,” Higgs said as she concluded her video.
Since posting the viral TikTok, brands and celebrities alike have commented and reached out to Higgs.
“You are not ‘just an (Instacart) worker,’” model Bella Hadid commented. “(You are) helping people every single day in ways (you) probably don’t even know.”
The comment section of Higgs’ video was also flooded with TikTok users and creators calling her a “hero” and an “angel.”
Royal Caribbean Cruises has offered Higgs and her family a free seven-day cruise anywhere in the world.
“Jessica you’re a beautiful human being who did a truly wonderful and heroic thing,” the CEO of the cruise company said.
Instacart has since reached out to Higgs and sent her a shopper package, as well as flowers.
“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,” Instacart said in a statement to WTSP.
Jimmy Darts, a TikTok creator, surprised Higgs with $5,000 to thank her for her act of kindness.
“I’ve prayed to just be happy, and I finally feel it,” she said.
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 12:45 PM with the headline "Instacart worker saved a life. Now she’s called ‘hero’ after sharing story on TikTok."
