Favorite
48-year-old Kirk Alexander lived alone in his house in Salem, Oregon and loved pizza. Every day for almost 10 years Kirk has ordered pizza from the same Domino’s Pizza shop.
However, when he suddenly stopped ordering pizza one day, the employees of the Domino’s restaurant he ordered from immediately became concerned.
Loyal Customer
“He orders every day, every other day,” the general manager, Sarah Fuller, told reporters during an interview.
“His order pops up on the screen because he orders online. So we see it come across the screen and we’re like, ‘Oh, Kirk’s order.’” However, when Kirk suddenly stopped ordering the staff started to feel uneasy.
No Order
At first, the staff thought that Kirk might merely have been out of town on business or maybe visiting family. However, as time went on, the delivery drivers approached Fuller to ask about the fact that none of them had seen an order from Kirk for some time.
Fuller grew suspicious and decided to check the system. That’s when she noticed something alarming. She immediately knew that something was very wrong!
Friend Of The Staff
Kirk had been ordering from the same restaurant for years. “He orders all the time, so we know him,” Fuller said. Everyone at the restaurant knew Kirk to be a quiet, friendly, and nice guy. The staff all saw him as a part of the family.
Kirk had taken trips before but none had lasted that long. They wondered if he could have gotten tired of pizza and started ordering from elsewhere?
Loved The Whole Menu
“Kirk is a very well-known customer, but he doesn’t have a regular order – he’ll order anything from pasta or pizza to sandwiches or wings. It’s never the same thing every time.”
It was clear that the Domino’s menu offered more than enough variety for a man of habit like Kirk. This is why the staff started to have the suspicion that something more serious was going on.
Checking Up On Him
The staff grew more and more concerned and Fuller decided to send one of her employees to go and check up on Kirk. Tracey Hamblen was the driver who got the task of checking up on their loyal customer.
When Tracey approached the door to the house he immediately noticed that the lights were all on. He heard voices coming from inside, so he decided to knock on the door.
11 Days
“We saw the last order was 11 days ago,” said Fuller, general manager at Alexander’s local Domino’s, in an interview with KOIN 6 News. “We knew something wasn’t [right], that wasn’t normal at all.”
What could have possibly happened to their favorite customer? Fuller couldn’t shake the creeping feeling that something terrible was going on.
No Answer
Tracey knocked on the door but there was no answer. He tried knocking a few more times but there was still no response. And the door was locked. That’s when he decided to call Kirk’s cell phone number, however, it went straight to voicemail.
Tracey knew that something was seriously wrong. He got in his car and raced back to the restaurant. He only hoped he wasn’t too late...
He Rarely Left Home
After the incident, neighbors claimed that Alexander rarely left his home. A pizza delivery driver, meanwhile, noted that he suffered from health problems.
This could explain why he was so reliant on having his food sent to him. But Tracey’s gut feeling told him that there was a lot more to the situation than he was seeing.
Calling 911
Tracey spoke to the other employees and they decided to call 911. “Well, I need some help on what to do, it could be an emergency,” Tracey began. “This is Domino’s Pizza and we have a customer that usually orders like every night from us.”
“And he hasn’t ordered in 11 days,” Tracey explained. Once the operator took down all the details they contacted the Marion County sheriff’s department.
Found Him On The Ground
The sheriff immediately sent some of his deputies to Kirk’s home. They weren’t sure what they would find once they got to the house. Once they arrived, they knocked on the door and called out to Kirk. Despite what they expected, they heard a response.
Over the sound of the TV, the deputies could tell that a man was calling for help. They immediately broke down the door and entered the house where they found Kirk lying on the floor.
Lucky To Be Alive
The officers immediately called an ambulance, which picked up Alexander and transported him to a nearby hospital. It looked like he’d suffered a stroke, and paramedics were able to stabilize him.
But his fate was uncertain as there were no witnesses of the incident, and doctors weren’t able to determine how long it had been between then and when he was found.
Relieved By The Good News
Luckily, after some life-saving care, it looked like he was going to make a full recovery. Domino’s staff was delighted to hear the news. “We’re like a family here, and we were glad we were able to do something to help.
We hope he’s able to fully recover from this,” said Fuller. Now you probably think these people are heroes, but they disagree.
Humble And Compassionate
“I think we were just doing our job checking in on someone we know who orders a lot. We felt like we needed to do something,” explained Fuller.
Their humility is truly inspiring, but that didn’t stop the media from going crazy about the story. The news spread through town and local outlets, and eventually, the media caught wind of it.
Waiting For An Update
It wasn’t long before the amazing story was making headlines. The incredible foresight of the Oregon Domino’s team was picked up on by local TV networks.
The story even made onto The Washington Post’s website. And, of course, everyone was eager to find out how Alexander was doing after his terrifying ordeal.
A Newsworthy Story
Good Morning America interviewed Fuller and her assistant manager, Jenny Seiber. The pair recounted the events of that evening and the host congratulated them for following their instincts and doing the right thing.
She also asked them for updates on Alexander’s condition, since they had been able to visit him in the hospital.
Still By His Side
Seiber told host Robin Roberts that she had been to see Alexander three times since he was admitted to the hospital. The first day he was “out of it” and could only answer yes or no questions.
On the second day, he looked better, and by the third day, he was well enough to be moved to the rehabilitation wing. Then Roberts gave Seiber and Fuller a big surprise.
Rewarded For Their Good Deed
“Since you guys are superheroes, we’re gonna send you to Captain America: Civil War,” said Roberts, announcing that the whole restaurant staff would be getting tickets. And that wasn’t all.
Domino’s corporate office would be sending Fuller, Seiber and delivery man Tracey Hamblen to the Domino’s Worldwide Rally, a yearly convention of Domino’s members taking place in Las Vegas. We think it’s the least they deserve for helping to save a man’s life.
Taking To Social Media
The police certainly seem to agree: the Marion County Sheriff’s Office even took to Facebook to publicly thank delivery driver Hamblen.
“Thanks to the quick actions of Mr. Hamblen, Mr. Alexander is in stable condition at the Salem Hospital,” the post read. It seems that Alexander had a very lucky escape.
Twist Of Fate
Eating pizza isn't recommended by nutritionists and it certainly isn't a good idea to order in every night, But Alexander begs to differ...
In some strange twist of fate, Alexander’s Domino’s addiction looks as though it might actually have saved his life. And, thanks to the observant team at Domino’s, this story has a happy ending!