Life comes with a ton of hurdles and challenges for all of us, so the least we could do is ease that burden for one another as best we can. Of course, we can’t solve everyone’s problems, but we can certainly take away some of the stress that plagues people on a daily basis. From cancer to mental health, we should all stick together. That’s what one man is doing, and he’s a great example for us all.
James Anderson, a plumber from the small British town of Burnley, offers free services for some of the most vulnerable members of our population: the elderly.
Burnley plumber James Anderson refuses to take payment from elderly woman https://t.co/rztAZFggC9
— 📣 Jon Shackleton #meritocracy #GTTO #NUFC (@Shackviral) September 17, 2019
Anderson’s latest kind gesture has gone viral, and for good reason. He was dropping someone off when he got a call to repair a broken boiler. His coworker informed him that the woman living there was 91-years-old and dying from leukemia.
Anderson then went to her house and fixed the boiler. When the woman’s daughter, Christine Rowlands, asked for the bill, Anderson said he would send it to her via email.
However, when Rowlands received the bill, she was shocked to find no charges and this kind message instead:
“No charge for this lady under any circumstances. We will be available 24 hours to help her and keep her as comfortable as possible.”
Rowlands shared the invoice on her Facebook the following day, and it instantly went viral. As of now, it’s been shared 11,000 times and has 30,000 reactions. People were moved by the sheer generosity and kindness of this kind man.
As you can see in her post, a friend of Christine called the plumber an angel due to his huge heart and willingness to help others. Unsurprisingly, this isn’t the first time that Anderson has gone above and beyond to help someone with cancer.
Anderson began his own non-profit company called DEPHER, which stands for: Disabled & Elderly Plumbing & Heating Emergency Repairs.
According to Anderson, he’s helped 2,389 people since March 2017.
Anderson said he was prompted to start the company after seeing an elderly man being taken advantage of by an engineer. This showed him firsthand how elderly people need to be looked after and protected in our society, and it’s our duty to make sure that happens.
“It got me thinking about other elderly and vulnerable people — we need to do something more to help the people who need it most.”
Anderson realized that older people usually don’t ask for help when they need it. Instead, they suffer in silence or fall victim to higher prices. He wants to make sure that doesn’t happen, at least not on his watch.
He says the goal of DEPHER is to help ease cance patient and older peoples’ worries by offering free and low-cost services.
Of course, nothing is truly free in this world, and someone out there must bear the cost of the free services. Anderson’s company is £8,000 in debt, but to him, it’s all worth it if he can help cancer patients, older people, or others in need. He has arrangements with the bank and his suppliers, however, so that he can continue his philanthropic mission.
Despite being in debt, Anderson continues to offer a 25% discount on services to help out those who need it most.
Anderson wants to get other plumbers on board to keep growing the community. Additionally, he hopes that the movement will grow internationally. He hopes that the viral receipt will get things up and running in other countries around the world. James says he’s been taking calls from places like the US and Germany, talking about his mission to help the most vulnerable people in our world.
“As long as I have enough money to fill up the tank in my car, I will be there to try and help the people who need it.”
When the media asked Anderson why he continues to do free or low cost work for the elderly, he simply replied:
“I don’t want any person who is elderly and disabled in this country, in this day and age, to die or suffer because of a cold home or a lack of funding to repair the boiler.
… Simple as that.”
Do you know anyone with a heart of gold like this man? If so, let us hear about them! Share their story with us in the comments below!
