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'No charge under any circumstances': British plumber foots bill for woman, 91, with leukemia

A plumber in England's kindness went viral after he fixed a 91-year-old woman's boiler for free.

BURNLEY, England — A plumber in Great Britain fixed a broken boiler for a 91-year-old woman with leukemia.

The bill? No charge.

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A Sept.8 receipt from James Anderson notes that the woman in the British town of Burnley would not be charged "under any circumstances," the BBC reported.

"We will be available 24 hours to help her and keep her as comfortable as possible.." the receipt concludes.

The bill was originally shared on Facebook by Christine Rowlands, the woman's daughter. Anderson said the woman would receive "free plumbing for life," CNN reported.

Went to mum's yesterday and big drama boiler was leaking and I phoned my sister Delta who managed to contact a plumber ...

Posted by Christine Anne Rowlands on Monday, September 9, 2019

Anderson, 52, said he did not know the receipt had gone viral.

"I was at my grandson's christening," Anderson told the BBC. "I got a couple of likes and cheers on Sunday."

The reaction has been positive worldwide since. "From Flusher with Love," read one headline from a British tabloid.

"We didn't expect it," Anderson told the Burnley Express. "It's been everywhere."

It is not the first time Anderson has come to the rescue of elderly customers.

Anderson, originally from Liverpool, became a plumber in 1998. Since 2017, he has been running a nonprofit called DEPHER -- Disabled & Elderly Plumbing and Heating Emergency Repair, according to the BBC.

"There are too many elderly and disabled people suffering in silence," Anderson told the BBC. "They don't like asking for help. They don't want to be a burden.

"We take away the burden, the stigma."

Anderson told CNN his company has helped 2,389 people since he formed the company.

The plumber said he founded the company after watching another business "manipulate" another elderly customer.

"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 told CNN.

Rowlands called Anderson an "angel dressed as a plumber," CNN reported.

"James is an absolute star, it was overwhelming to see that it cost nothing," Rowlands told CNN.

Rowland estimates he has racked up more than $10,000 in debt and has had to lay off a few workers to make ends meet, but he said the amount he owes does not concern him.

"A lot of people close to me ask: why are you getting yourself into debt? Why are you doing this?" Anderson told the Express. "To me, debt is debt... I would rather owe some money to somebody and another person be alive and happy and safe."