An Instacart shopper has stressed the importance of listening to your gut after she saved an elderly man’s life.

In 2022, Jessica Higgs was working as an Instacart shopper when she noticed an order from a woman for her elderly father come through. 

The Georgian local recalled taking it in the hopes of making some extra money – not expecting to save a man’s life while along the way.

In a tearful TikTok recorded after the incident, Higgs, 27, said something seemed immediately off about the man when she went to deliver the order as she noticed that he looked sick. 

Despite the Instacart policy not allowing shoppers to go inside a customer’s house, she said she decided to take his groceries inside.

‘I go to message the lady because I was very concerned for her dad, he looked sick,’ she explained, admitting she ‘didn’t know what to do.’

Higgs decided to reach out to the woman, explaining if she marked the order as complete she wouldn’t be able to contact her,  but she wanted to let her know her father seemed unwell. 

‘I said, “It’s very unprofessional to say something,” and I wasn’t going to – I never talk, I always just put groceries down and leave,’ she continued.

‘This time, for whatever reason, my head was like, “You gotta say something,” so I said, “He’s not doing good, he’s sick,”‘ she explained.

The caring shopper then explained that upon entering his home, she noticed a propane tank in the house.

She also said she felt dizzy after only being five feet in the house.

‘I said [to the woman who placed the order], “There’s gotta be a leak,”‘ she explained. ‘”He might not be doing good because of this leak.”‘

Jessica explained that the woman told her she would have her son come and and look at the tank – and changed her tip from $14 to $100.

The next day, Higgs noticed the woman had also left her a message explaining her son and gone to check on her father – and there was indeed a leak in the propane tank.

‘You definitely saved my dad and my younger son’s life!’ she wrote. 

In a recent interview with People, Higgs said although three years have passed since this the incident, she re-shares it on the anniversary – January 22 – every year to encourage people to ‘see something, say something.’

‘The more people that see [the TikTok], the better,’ she told the publication. 

‘It’s not for me. Not for the comments or likes. It’s for the message. The message is strong. And a tearjerker. I read every single comment.’

She continued: ‘Every single message sent. And it still brings tears to my eyes. I still watch it myself.’

Higgs said the experience gave her a purpose and a ‘completely different outlook on life.’

‘Because you truly just never know,’ she said passionately.

According to Medline Plus, breathing in or swallowing propane can be harmful as propane takes the place of oxygen in the lungs, which makes breathing difficult or impossible. 

They recommend seeking medical help right away if someone has breathed in the poison, as well as immediately moving them to fresh air.