$800K raised for senior DoorDash driver, 78, struggling to cover wife’s medical bills — now he can retire. But what if kind strangers don’t help you?

Within just two days, strangers had donated more than $500,000 to Richard Pulley and his wife, Brenda. After Brenda lost her job, Richard had come out of retirement to help bring in extra income.

“When you’re past your mid-70s, there’s not exactly a line of people waiting to hire you,” Brenda said in an interview with NBC affiliate WSMV (2).

At the time of writing, donations have climbed past $800,000 (3). Here’s how the viral fundraiser unfolded and what it means for others who may not have the same kind of lifeline.

Still on the road in their 70s

For the Pulleys, delivery work had turned into a shared routine. Brenda handled the driving while Richard took care of the drop-offs. When Smith eventually tracked them down, she said it became clear the couple wasn’t working to pass the time or stay active, they were doing it out of necessity. Just days later, she met with them again to share the unexpected news — WSMV cameras were there to capture the encounter.

“I don’t know. It’s just I love this man,” Smith said. “I want him to be my grandpa,” her daughter added.

Their story taps into a much broader financial reality. While the average American retires around age 62, according to the 2024 MassMutual Retirement Happiness Study (4), that timeline is becoming less predictable. More older adults are remaining in the workforce as longer lifespans, market volatility and rising living costs reshape traditional retirement plans.

In fact, a report from Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax (5) found that as many as 51% of retirement-age adults now expect to work indefinitely.

When retirement doesn’t go as planned

For Richard and Brenda, the sudden wave of donations offered them a chance to slow down after decades of work and ease the pressure that has shaped much of their 56-year marriage. The couple said the funds will help them step back from delivery shifts and focus on managing day-to-day expenses that had become increasingly difficult to keep up with.

“Sometimes you just look at all the things that you need to pay… because if you don’t, you’re going to end up in the hospital… with something even more expensive than that,” Brenda said, noting that her health care expenses run into the thousands each year.

Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek that rising expenses, especially for health care, are a key reason many older Americans are staying in the workforce longer than previous generations (6).

"Certain costs, like health care, have become so elevated that many seniors realize they are not going to be able to make it in retirement without some type of supplementary income," he said. "Given those worries, they're not rushing out the door like prior generations of retirees have."

Policy changes have also played a role. Reforms enacted in 1983 have gradually raised the full retirement age for Social Security benefits from 65 to 67 for many workers (7). For those who claim benefits earlier, monthly payments are permanently reduced, creating an incentive for some near-retirees to continue working while they wait to access their full entitlement.

What to do if the same luck doesn’t find you

While most retirement plans won’t be reshaped by the generosity of strangers, there are still steps that can help strengthen your financial stability in later years.