This kind man with a heart of gold fixes things for vulnerable people without charging them any money.
He used to run a business that he shut down in order to create the non-for-profit company Depher.
Although he has been working for free for some time now, it wasn’t until recently that the story of his kindness spread across the country.
Namely, the bill he gave to a 91-year-old lady with acute-leukemia with total of zero dollars to charge was posted online by the woman’s daughter and vent viral.
Burnley plumber James Anderson refuses to take payment from elderly woman https://t.co/rztAZFggC9
— 📣 Jon Shackleton #meritocracy 🇬🇧🇮🇪 (@Shackviral) September 17, 2019
On the bill, James, who is a father of five, wrote, “No charge for this lady under any circumstances. We will be available 24 hours to help her and keep her as comfortable as possible.”
“A lot of people close to me ask: why are you getting yourself in to debt? Why are you doing this?” he said.
“To me, debt is debt… I would rather owe some money to somebody and another person be alive and happy and safe.”
THIS IS THE INVOICE FROM PLUMBER, JAMES ANDERSON IN BURNLEY AFTER FIXING A LADY’S BOILER – GIVES ME A LITTLE HOPE FOR HUMANITY AFTER ALL PIC.TWITTER.COM/ZDDMJO2F4A
— PROUDDEVONIAN (@PDEVONIAN) 15 SEPTEMBER 2019
Since he started providing free or low-cost plumbing for those in need in 2017, his dept has risen to around $9,940. But he believes that it is nothing compared to the happiness of those he helps.
“It’s an ethos that’s in my heart and it will always stay there.”
Just recently, he decided to ask others to be part of his company so that more vulnerable citizens get the help they desperately need.
“I’ve spoken to quite a few engineers around the country and they’re all for it… it’s just getting the funding,” he said.
“I don’t want any person who is elderly and disabled in this country, in this day and age, to d!e or suffer because of a cold home or a lack of funding to repair the boiler.”
“It shouldn’t be happening – that number should be down to zero. Simple as that.”
Since his invoice went viral, many people became familiar with his work and James was able to raise $100,000 in donations. He’s no longer struggling to keep his non-profit afloat.
James really is a very special person. Nowadays, it’s very rare to meet someone who puts the happiness of others above their own, but James is a proof that those people do exist and make this world a much better place.