4 days of uncollected mail raised postal worker's concern. Her next action saved a life
Some customer service workers take their work a notch ahead by observing little things about their customers. One postal worker's observation and concern for her customer turned out to be life-saving for the woman. The postal worker from Newmarket in New Hampshire, Kayla Berridge, noticed that an elderly customer's mail had not been collected since the past few days and no new mail had gone out from there. She decided to check in on the woman out of concern and ended up saving her life, per CNN.
Kayla would often see and talk to the woman living in the house who happened to be in her 80s. So it was strange for her to not see the woman around. It ended up ringing alarm bells in her head when the senior woman hadn't collected her mail either. "I hadn’t seen her in a while and I noticed her mail wasn’t getting picked up, so I got a little concerned," the mail carrier went on. So she decided to call a wellness check on the woman, per Newmarket Police Department. The department acted upon the request for a wellness on the elderly resident. They noted that the vehicle the woman used was parked as well. The police ended up finding the woman trapped inside, screaming for help.
"Detective Wedgeworth was the first officer on scene and could hear the elderly female inside the residence yelling for help," the Facebook post explained. "Officer McGloughlin, the second officer that responded, was familiar with the address. Based on prior contacts, McGloughlin was able to help gain entry to the house." The resident was trapped under a pile of items that had fallen on her inside her bedroom. "It was determined that she had been trapped on the floor for at least three days and possibly longer." The postal service worker ended up seeking help at just the right time and the woman was rescued and taken to the hospital by Newmarket Fire and Rescue. The lady was suffering from hypothermia and dehydration and was getting treated at the hospital.
"It is this department’s belief that Kayla’s knowledge of the people on her route as well as her attentiveness saved the life of this resident," Lt. Wayne Stevens noted. Kayla told CNN that she was always on the lookout for signs like mail not getting collected, no mail getting sent out even as the car is parked in the driveway. Kayla shared that everyone in their town tried to help each other. "Newmarket is a great little town. Everyone has each other's backs." Stevens added, "Without a doubt, she saved this lady’s life. That’s part of being a letter carrier in a small town and taking your job to the next level. She did a great job."
People praised Kayla in the comments section of the Facebook post. Noreen Ernest wrote, "Thank you to the observant postal worker and the responders. Remember when everyone is complaining about mail problems...these workers remain an important part of our community in so many ways. They are often the only person someone may see on a regular basis." Rebecca Reese commented, "Hope she will be OK. Must have been awful for this poor woman! Appreciate all who service our town in such a caring way." Jessalyn Gonya remarked, "People caring for others, we need more of this! Awesome job to all."