Florida Chef Saves Life of Missing Regular
A longtime fan of gumbo at the Shrimp Basket in Pensacola, Florida, may owe his life to his daily culinary ritual. For 10 years, 78-year-old Charlie Hicks made a point of visiting the restaurant twice a day, every day, always ordering the same meal: gumbo, light on rice, no cracker.
“Mr. Hicks don’t miss no days,” chef Donel Stallworth told CBS News. “We open the doors, and Mr. Hicks is right there to greet us.”
When Hicks didn’t show up for two consecutive days in September, staff called to check on him. He said he was feeling sick and asked if they could deliver his gumbo to his apartment, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.
Employees delivered his favorite dish for two days, but Stallworth grew concerned when he couldn’t reach Hicks on the third day and his calls went straight to voicemail. Mid-shift, Stallworth drove to Hicks’ apartment, where repeated knocks went unanswered—until he heard a faint “Help.” Inside, he found Hicks on the floor, badly dehydrated with two broken ribs. He had likely fallen days earlier and was unable to move.
“He couldn’t really talk because he was dehydrated, so I got him some water,” Stallworth recalled. “He could barely make words.”
Thanks to Stallworth’s quick action, Hicks survived. From that point on, the restaurant staff’s role expanded beyond serving meals—they became a personal support network. Workers brought his gumbo to the hospital, and after a week he was moved to a rehab facility.
“He said that Donel had saved his life,” Hicks’ niece, Christina Neeper, told the News-Journal. “Donel has been texting him and visiting him. Apparently, they’re best friends.”
When it became clear that Hicks couldn’t safely return to his old apartment, the Shrimp Basket team helped him find a new place just steps away from the restaurant, pitching in to furnish and fix it up.
Three months after his fall, Hicks returned to the Shrimp Basket, sliding into his usual seat and resuming his daily routine.
“I’m glad to have you back, buddy,” Stallworth said. Hicks, in his own understated way, summed up their bond: “We made a connection.”
Now living just a few steps from the restaurant, Stallworth describes his loyal customer as “that uncle… that grandfather… that best friend… all in one.”
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