For many seniors, the ‘golden years’ aren’t as golden as they’d like them to be. Many struggle later in life to ensure they have enough benefits to cover the cost of their medical needs and other living expenses. , As a result, some seniors are forced to work past their retirement age to help cover their everyday needs. One such heartrending story is that of Derlin Newey. Luckily for him, a silver lining showed up.
While most are finished with their workday by late evening, a hard-working 89-year-old man prepares himself for work to start his. Derlin Newey makes pizza delivery rounds in Weber Country. Anyone who has ever had pizza delivered by him finds it very unusual for the older man to be working at his age.
You’ll be surprised to know why he’s still working. It’s a common struggle—he simply had to pay the bills.
As a senior citizen, Derlin has social security benefits, but they’re far from being enough to cover all his expenses. We can talk all day about economic stability and policies, but what’s important here is how these affect people like Derlin.
Many customers at Papa John’s, where Derlin works, think he has a very friendly personality.
The pizza joint has many delivery guys, but most customers recognize Derlin. One of his regular customers, Carlos Valdez, is always greeted with an enthusiastic question, “Are you looking for some pizza?”
Carlos and his wife quickly developed a liking for the older man due to his warm nature, and this is why they always order their pizzas from Papa John’s. With the onset of TikTok, Carlos also began sharing video clips of Derlin while doing his delivery rounds.
Soon enough, the clips of Derlin’s delivery services had created a huge buzz on TikTok. Many began to question why a senior citizen like him was working as a pizza delivery guy for 30 hours a week. Everyone was curious about his back story.
Most of them showed concern about Derlin’s situation. Carlos expressed the concerns of the Tiktok community by saying, “Somebody at that age should not be working that much.”
Typically, people at Derlin’s age are enjoying their retirement and cherishing moments with their families. With health risks like severe back pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, and other problems, it’s not advisable for him to still be working at Papa John’s.
Although Derlin’s is an inspiring story, Carlos and his TikTok followers thought it best to do something about the older man’s situation. The only natural thing to do was help him achieve a more convenient way of life.
Instead of waiting for Papa John’s to give him a raise, they organized a special pizza delivery for Derlin that would surely warm his heart.
Due to Carlos’s vast network of followers on TikTok, they were able to start a fundraiser. The cause gained a lot of traction, and soon enough, more and more people had begun to donate and extend their support and admiration for the old man.
In the end, they were able to raise quite a surprising amount. Carlos was thrilled to be able to collect $12,000 in cash donations for Derlin. The money would surely help him a lot.
Now, it was time to pay Derlin a special visit.
Carlos and his wife saw the conditions in which Derlin lived. He was the sole occupant of a mobile home with just a few appliances. Derlin had no idea what the sudden visit was for, but he always welcomed Carlos and his wife with a warm smile. He was just happy to have some visitors that day.
The couple had arrived wearing T-shirts with doodles of Derlin and a slice of pizza. They started by giving him a T-shirt and a pizza box, within which the real surprise was hidden. Carlos then explained the true intention of their visit.
“We collectively collected a gift for you, and I’m here to deliver that gift to you on behalf of the TikTok community,” Carlos said as he happily handed over their special delivery.
Derlin was surprised. He didn’t even know what TikTok was, yet most of the donations had come from people who had followed his story there. He opened the envelope and saw the amount of cash they’d all worked to collect just for him. Tears filled the older man’s eyes.
“How do I ever say thank you? I don’t know what to say.”
Carlos came like a blessing in disguise for Derlin. From a customer, he became a friend and a family member for this pizza delivery guy.
For most of us following this story, it serves as an eye-opener to how social security currently works and how it needs to improve for the elderly. It shows that not all seniors get the ideal retirement plan they need.
For Derlin, though, the ending of this story couldn’t be any happier. Since the special delivery, he and Carlos have become very close friends. To continue to help Derlin, Carlos has been kind enough to set up a PO Box and other means of cash donations.
Carlos has also offered to help him with anything he might need. He’s now part of the family.
The clip below shows the inspiring story of Derlin. Let’s continue spreading the word in hopes of raising awareness and concern among more people.
