Delivery driver sanitizes package for girl to reduce her exposure to the coronavirus: ‘He went above and beyond’

An “amazing” delivery driver sanitized a package for a diabetic girl to reduce her exposure to the coronavirus.

This week, FedEx employee Justin Bradshaw was dropping off packages on his Boca Raton, Fla. route when he encountered a note posted to the door of a home. “Someone in this house has an autoimmune disorder,” it read under a stop sign image.

The note explained that those with autoimmune disorders are at higher risk for COVID-19 infections and life-threatening complications, echoing warnings from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The note instructed to leave packages at the door.

Homeowner Carrie Blasi hung the note for her 11-year-old daughter Emma, who was born with Type 1 diabetes. “She is not more prone to COVID-19, but if she gets it, she may not recover,” the mom tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Emma checks her glucose levels every two hours and uses an insulin pump to avoid low blood sugar.

Bradshaw could have followed the simple order, but he wanted to be safe. Blasi’s doorbell camera recorded the gloved 28-year-old reading the note, then returning from his truck with sanitizer and a paper towel. After scrubbing the package, Bradshaw wrote on the item, “I sanitized [your] box once I’ve seen the note on [your] door.”

“Stay safe,” he added with a smiley face. Later, Blasi tweeted photos of the note, writing, “Amazing!”

According to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, the coronavirus can potentially live up to 24 hours on cardboard surfaces.

“I couldn’t believe that he took the time to sanitize the box,” Blasi tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “Who does that? He went above and beyond.”

Bradshaw understands the precautions because his one-year-old daughter Nova was born at 28 weeks and weighed 1 pound, 1 ounce. “She was the size of my hand,” he tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Bradshaw and his wife Yasmine had to be careful during her 60-day UCI stay, and with a high risk of coronavirus exposure from handling packages, cleaning comes naturally. In fact, Blasi’s package is not the first that he’s sanitized.

“I keep gloves, wipes and masks in my truck and an extra set of clothing to change into before going inside my house after work,” Bradshaw tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “When I come home, I take a 15 minute shower before greeting my family.”

Bradshaw wiped down the box “to kill the majority of germs.” The gesture meant the world to Blasi who started the Twitter hashtag #BeLikeJustin and this week, the two met over a video phone call and gave each other “virtual hugs.”

A spokesperson from FedEx tells Yahoo Lifestyle, “FedEx Ground is extremely proud of the many contributions our team members are making to deliver for our customers during this challenging time. We commend the actions of this service provider employee, who went above and beyond by sanitizing a high risk customer’s package.”

Blasi hopes that Bradshaw’s conscientiousness will set an example, saying, “I’d like him to be recognized and thanked.”

For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC and WHO’s resource guides.

• What to do if you think you have the coronavirus

• What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

• Glossary of public health terms to stay informed

• The most common ways the coronavirus is transmitted

• How to maintain your physical and mental health during the pandemic

• Taking care of a loved one with COVID-19? Here’s how to stay healthy

• COVID-19 and pregnancy: What we know so far

• How to find a job, unemployment insurance

• Q&A with Dr. Kavita Patel: How to keep your family safe and maintain your mental health

• Opening and cleaning delivery packages

• Tips for grocery shopping

• How to deal with potentially contaminated money

• How to do your laundry safely

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