ROSWELL, Ga. (WRBL) - In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, one delivery driver dropped off more than just gifts and now people from all over have blessed him in return.
What appeared as a simple holiday delivery, quickly turned into a Christmas miracle full of hope, love, and joy for Jessica Kitchel.
Kitchel and her husband Mack live in Roswell, Georgia, with their daughter Charlie and newborn, Chancy. On a day she thought a few packages were arriving, she checked her Nest door camera to find so much more.
Kitchel’s Nest video camera captured a UPS delivery driver saying, “If this is a ‘it’s a boy’ house, I hope all is going well with your newborn. I had a child at around the same time you guys did, I just hope everything is going good, God bless, and Happy Holidays.”
And as the driver walked away, he was unaware of the impact he’d be leaving behind.
“Like most parents, in those first few weeks at home, it can feel isolating,” said Kitchel. “The moment that he said that was a time I needed to hear that encouragement at the most important time. I was blown away that he would take a second to end his day to leave that message for me to see how I was doing, it just blew me away.”
The search began and Kitchel was determined to find the driver and thank him for the kind message. Meantime, she left a token of appreciation on her doorstep in the event he returned before hand.
With the help of social media, the search didn’t take long. A few days later, Kitchel was introduced to Dallan Harrell, a seasonal driver for UPS, and the kind message he left behind actually hit close to home for him.
“For me it was about bringing in a new life, it’s also a new experience and now you’re solely dependent for another individual, so with me being in the realm, I’m a parent now, I just wanted to check on them,” said Harrell.
Kitchel was so moved by his thoughtfulness, she had to share it on social media.
“I mean it blessed me, and I thought I have to put this out there and let other people know and I was blown away by how much it blessed everyone that got to see it that day and through the last several days since it happened,” said Kitchel.
While they spoke on the phone, she had yet to meet him in-person, until five days later when Harrell was back in the neighborhood delivering packages and this time the Kitchel’s were home.
“When I heard the knock at the door, I just knew it had to be him,” said Kitchel.
After Kitchel shared the message to social media, folks from all over have joined in to clear Harrell’s registry for his newborn, a way of giving back to him for his kind gesture.
“It’s completely overwhelming and this is just on paper, I have yet to see everything be delivered and feel it even more, overzealous with that joy,” said Harrell.
“I had no idea the magnitude of the people wanting to help,” said Kitchel. “Yes, he has a newborn, there’s so many things you need with a newborn, and so to just see how incredible the community has been, and his registry has exploded, and I just can’t wait to see what his doorstep looks like next week.”
Kitchel and Harrell also find common ground somewhere else: the power in a small act of kindness.
“I hope and I know it’s made me reflect on taking the second in your day to just see how you can be kind to somebody, and the magnitude, the power of just words of kindness,” said Kitchel. “You know, they’re free, and it can just completely impact someone’s life.”
“You never know what people are experiencing no matter how good it looks from the outside,” said Harrell. “People don’t hear these messages as often as they should or get the hugs, or kisses that they should, especially around this time, people are missing loved ones, my message is to just pay it forward.”
Kitchel says Harrell’s registry is nearly 90% sold out.
And the good news doesn’t stop there, Harrell says UPS has offered him a full-time job with his own route once this holiday season comes to an end.
It’s safe to say this story proves you can count on more than just Santa to deliver this Christmas season.
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