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Viral TikTok video by off-duty S.C. providers helps raise $265K+ for elderly Domino’s driver

Central Berkeley EMT Lacey Klein’s video of Barbara Gillespie, 72, touched many after Gillespie fell near Klein’s front door while delivering pizza

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Photo/Central Berkeley Fire & EMS

By Leila Merrill
FireRescue1/EMS1

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. — An EMT and a firefighter-paramedic helped a 72-year-old Domino’s delivery driver recover from a fall she suffered earlier this month at their home and created a viral video and a fundraiser so she can retire.

Barbara Gillespie was delivering food to the home of Lacey Klein and her husband, Kevin Keighron, and when she fell near their front door, Newsweek reported. The family’s doorbell camera caught that moment.

Klein, an EMT with Central Berkeley Fire and EMS in Summerville, and Keighron, a firefighter-EMT, rushed to help Gillespie.

https://www.facebook.com/cbfems/posts/pfbid02izGYrG5H23Lur7mPZeV6GAzkD5Jw64fYM1mHqUM5d3jzktiN2GKzQ3o4fQb6EqAAl

“Watching her fall on our camera playback was horrific, and we were so sad for her that she wasn’t retired at her age but instead was delivering food,” Klein told Newsweek.

So Klein uploaded footage of the incident to TikTok and set up a GoFundMe page for Gillespie.

“I thought, even if only a couple people donate, maybe she could take a couple days off to recover and relax,” she said.

The video went viral.

As of midday Friday, more than 16,000 donations have been made, raising a total of over $269,000.

https://www.tiktok.com/@momofthe5ks/video/7195696356508372266?_r=1&_t=8ZwP029tAzb https://www.tiktok.com/@momofthe5ks/video/7199813895043812651?_r=1&_t=8ZwP3TEOtN0