By Jack BeresfordShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA mom has shared footage of the moment her one-year-old son ran off down their driveway towards the road with her in pursuit.
Randi Nichole told Newsweek how she felt “so panicked in that moment” knowing she would be unable to reach him before he made it down to the spot where he would be in harm's way. But just when it seemed like her worst fears as a mother were about to be realized, something extraordinary happened.
Parents experience high levels of stress in their day to day lives. In 2024, the U.S. surgeon general’s advisory report found that 33 percent of parents experience high levels of stress over the period of a month compared to 20 percent of adults without children.
Nichole knows only too well just how stressful it can get, but things reached a whole other level of stress one morning recently while she was attempting to get her one-year-old son in the car.
In truth, she was already dealing with a lot that day. “Our babysitter was sick that day. Normally I would have left him home with her,” she said. “I’m also recovering from knee surgery and am using crutches and have a knee branch that doesn’t allow my knee to bend so it’s difficult to move quickly.”
That was stressful enough, but things were about to hit a whole new level as she attempted to get her son into the car. “I set him down for one second,” she said. “As soon as his feet touched the ground he took off running out of the garage and down our driveway which has a downhill slope.”
Nichole had little option but to give chase. However, as she was on crutches, she knew it would be next to impossible for her to reach her son before he got to the road. “I felt so panicked in that moment,” she said. “I was looking for cars as I was going after him.”
Nichole’s son was now mere meters away from serious danger, with his mom looking in every direction for some kind of help. When all seemed lost, out of nowhere, help arrived in the most unexpected form. “I noticed a FedEx van slowing down to turn onto our street,” Nichole said. “I waved in hopes that they would see us and they did.”
What followed next was captured on a security camera positioned at the top of Nichole’s driveway. Nichole has since shared the footage to her TikTok, @randinichole10, where it has already been watched 7.4 million times.
“As our one-year-old reached the end of the driveway he fell and the FedEx employees stopped to offer help,” Nichole said. “I immediately started to cry.”
...Nichole had come so close to seeing her worst fears realized. Yet, at the last moment, two female FedEx employees had stepped in and changed everything. It’s difficult to imagine what might have played out had they not been there that day. Nichole is thankful they were.
“One of the women carried my son back to the garage and made sure I was okay,” she said. “I was so grateful for them stopping and helping me.”
That was the main reason she felt compelled to share the footage to social media. “I wanted to let Fedex know that they have two amazing employees that went above and beyond,” she said.
Since the video was filmed, Nichole has been able to find out the names of the women involved and has thanked them both personally. She hopes those watching the video take heart from what happened that day.
“Good people still show up for each other,” she said. “Even small acts can change someone’s whole day. Heroes aren’t always dramatic; sometimes they’re delivery drivers doing their route.”
Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines
Add Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Recommended For You
LifeMoment Mom Realizes Kids Have Been on Alexa Shopping Spree: ‘You Did What?’3 min read
Family & ParentingMom’s Realization About Who Really Needs ‘the Village’ Goes Viral4 min read
Family & ParentingTexas Tornado Hits, Knocks Out Power—One Mom Knows Just What to Do3 min read
Family & ParentingViral TikTok Chef Expecting Twin Girls Shares Tragic Baby Loss News3 min read
Family & ParentingPregnant Bridesmaid Decides To ‘Guest Swap’ Husband, Shock at What Follows4 min read
Family & ParentingDad Shaves Beard After 11 Years—Daughter Can’t Cope With What She Sees3 min readRelated Podcasts
Top Stories
NewsTrump’s Reported Plan to Hand Russia Ukrainian Territories Sparks Outrage2 min read
NewsUncommon Knowledge: On Black Friday, Payday Lenders Are Now Armed With AI5 min read
NewsMap Shows Where Significant Snow Will Disrupt Post-Thanksgiving Travel3 min read
NewsTrump Announces Halt On Migration From ‘All Third World Countries’3 min read
NewsZelensky’s Chief of Staff Resigns After Anti-Corruption Raid4 min read
NewsTrump Admin ‘Looking at’ Deporting Rahmanullah Lakanwal’s Family4 min readTrending
New York8 Million Inflation Refund Checks Sent Out Ahead of Thanksgiving4 min read
WalmartWalmart Recall Update: Customers Warned ‘Immediately Stop’ Using Products4 min read
CatholicPope Leo Updates Marriage Rules for 1.4 Billion Catholics3 min read
WeatherWinter Storm Map Shows Where Up to 12 Inches of Snow Could Strike3 min read
ThanksgivingList of Fast Food and Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving Day 20253 min readOpinion
OpinionRedefining Professional Degrees Will Hurt Everyday Americans | Opinion5 min read
OpinionAI Is Coming for Our Most Intimate Communications. Congress Must Act | Opinion5 min read
OpinionConventional Wisdom: The Thanksgiving Tragedies Edition3 min read
OpinionConventional Wisdom: The Anti-Thanksgiving Edition3 min read
OpinionHow to Remain Grounded and Thankful Amid the Chaos5 min read
