NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — What do you do when your work day is suddenly thrust into an emergency situation that could be a matter of life and death? That's the situation in which a worker found themselves during what was supposed to be a routine delivery. What happened next will be remembered by that worker forever.
Life on the go suits Jess Quazi.
"Here we go!" Jess smiled, stacking boxes onto a cart and heading into an apartment complex. "A lot of waiting for elevators in my day."
When Jess is done with one place, it's off to the next one. It's all part of working for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.
"We serve urban, rural, everything in between," Jess said. "I go around Davidson County and deliver food boxes to senior citizens."
Doing that kind of work, Jess has learned every interaction with someone matters.
"It's an honor to be able to feed people," Jess said. "I take it very seriously and love it."
Among the familiar faces on Jess's delivery route is a woman named Bette White.
There was a day Jess came to drop off a food box and knew something was wrong. Jess knocked repeatedly on Bette's door.
"I just heard murmurs that sounded distressed," Jess said.
Jess asked to enter. Bette shouted 'yes.' Inside, Jess saw Bette lying in a doorway. She'd fallen and had been there for three days.
"It was really scary," Jess remembered. "Whenever she saw me, I could see the shock and the horror in her face. From there, I made the emergency calls and stayed with her. I didn't know if she was going to make it in the condition she was in."
In the weeks that followed, Jess continued the deliveries but wanted to know so badly if Bette was okay. Tuesday, Jess got a chance to check in on Bette.
"You can get pretty lonely when you're on the floor for three days," Bette explained, sitting next to Jess. "I heard her voice, and I thought, 'oh my gosh, I'm gonna be saved.'"
"Some of it is a blur, but I remember your face," Bette continued, turning to Jess. "I remember holding on to you, and I remember saying, 'please don't leave me.' I cannot express to her. I have this beautiful view, and I look out, and the first person I thank is her, of course."
"You changed my life, my dear," Bette said to Jess. "Here I am. Can you believe it?"
"There is a permanent bond with Bette," Jess said. "I will remember it the rest of my life."
"Because of her, I'm here," said Bette. "She saved my life."
