Inside secret heartbreak of father dubbed Britain’s kindest plumber
A group hero dubbed ‘Britain’s kindest plumber’ for his unbelievable acts of kindness – which this week gained over Hollywood star Hugh Grant – was as soon as bullied to the brink of suicide for ‘having no enamel’.
Selfless James Anderson has touched the hearts of the nation together with his generosity, which has seen him providing free plumbing for frail pensioners with most cancers and donating £13,000 to assist a seven-year-old disabled boy get a bionic arm.
The 55-year-old from Burnley has even gained over Wonka star Hugh Grant, who this week donated £20,000 in the direction of the father-of-five’s charity DEPHER, which stands for Disabled and Elderly, Plumbing and Heating Emergency Response.
He’s helped 1000’s of aged and disabled folks in want since shutting down his non-public agency and launching not-for-profit firm, and went viral after an image of his invoice for £0 despatched to a 91-year-old girl with acute leukemia was posted on-line.
But the married handyman, initially from Liverpool, has needed to overcome his personal heartbreaking setbacks, which noticed his child boy William die aged 16 weeks in 2013 after being born with two holes in his coronary heart. And James was ruthless bullied by vile web trolls for having ‘no enamel’ – a lot so he contemplated taking his personal life.
Bullies mocked him for under having one tooth and a ‘couple of stumps’, with folks on social media calling him ‘gummy, grandad and ugly’ whereas one rang him branding him ‘a bloodsucker who ought to die’.
James, whose firm Depher has helped thousands and thousands, fell ‘in love’ with Alex after he was advised of his fundraiser by Carl Everitt, the co-owner of an area ice hockey membership
After years of trolling, James’ shallowness took a battering and his nervousness sky-rocketed to the purpose the place he felt suicide was the reply to his dwelling ‘nightmare’.
In September 2020 James, who’s married to housewife Barbara Anderson, drove to a bridge and regarded ending his life, however due to the assist of family and friends determined in opposition to it.
With the encouragement of buddies, James arrange a GoFundMe to boost the £1,700 – which paid for his new set of ‘life-changing enamel’.
Speaking to WalesOnline, James stated: ‘I acquired my enamel completed as a result of I wished to have the ability to smile and I could not. Since the launch of DEPHER in 2017 I’ve been within the papers and on TV and other people used to say ‘are you able to smile?’ however I could not and I used to be too ashamed to inform them why.
‘I did not need them to know that I solely had one tooth and a few stumps that had been black and had crumbled away. If you set a wig and make-up on me I’d appear like a witch once I smiled, it was horrendous.
‘I look again now and suppose ‘bloody hell, why did I enable myself to get to that place?’
James stated an horrific dental expertise on the age of 10, which noticed him choking on his personal blood after a blister in his mouth burst and fearing he was ‘going to die’, put him off getting his enamel checked out.
The group champion added that as a boy, he confronted years of ruthless torment for his ‘vivid purple hair, massive nostril and large ears’.
‘I used to be ugly, I used to be skinny, so I acquired bullied. I acquired right into a place that I simply gave up, I did not care. I might get myself into conditions the place simply watching folks and fairly just a few instances I acquired overwhelmed up and I misplaced a few enamel,’ he stated.
James was dubbed ‘Britain’s kindest plumber’ for refusing to take cash from his aged shoppers
‘On one event I acquired actually beat up and I misplaced two enamel, then once more I misplaced one other couple. I had round 11 or 12 enamel left and I simply gave up with them. The remaining enamel went by way of neglect, I did not brush them repeatedly or go to the dentist.
‘I simply did not care and thought ‘what’s the usage of attempting to make myself look good? I would as properly simply keep ugly’. I simply turned what they wished me to be, I lived my life on the pedestal they constructed for me.’
In 2013, James’ household was rocked by the demise of his child boy, William Edgar James Anderson.
The tot, described loving by James as his ‘little Braveheart’ was born with two holes in his coronary heart and spent his total life in hospital.
He was born at Burnley General Hospital on February 3 and spent 12 weeks within the neo-natal intensive care unit earlier than being transferred to the paediatric intensive care unit at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool the place he died on May 25, aged 16 weeks.
Speaking in regards to the tragic lack of his lad, James advised the Lancashire Telegraph: ‘He was a correct little Braveheart.
‘It’s unhappy that the one time he’ll get to return house will probably be for his funeral.
‘We spent each single day in hospital with him and photographed him day by day of his life so his reminiscence will stay on.’
‘He solely cried as soon as in his life nevertheless it was the quietest, faintest factor ever.
‘Normally, you do not need your little one to cry, you need them to be secure, nevertheless it was such an emotional second listening to him do this.
‘I’m so proud to be his dad.’
Following the heartbreaking lack of William, James targeted on doing what he might to assist different disabled youngsters and adults.
Earlier this yr, he moved a seven-year-old boy to tears after donating virtually £13,000 to pay for a brand new bionic arm for the football-mad lad.
Alex Sparkes was born and not using a proper arm. His mom Dionne Sparkes, 33, from Oswaldtwistle, launched a bid to boost £12,700 for the arm so the seven-year-old might take a throw-in like the remainder of his soccer membership teammates.
The Blackburn Rovers season ticket holder dreamt of getting a blue and white robotic arm bearing his crew’s rose emblem. Moved by the lad’s story, James determined to step in and pay for the arm himself.
The staggering show of kindness left the disabled schoolboy blown away.
Charity champion James Anderson, 55, from Burnley, Lancashire supplied to pay almost £13,000 do this Alex Sparkes, pictured, might get the bionic arm he has been dreaming about
Alex, seven, was born with out an arm to the shock of each his mom and birthing crew, in what has been dubbed a ‘sporadic’ occasion. Pictured as a toddler
A transferring video capturing the second confirmed Alex leaping with pleasure on the information.
He stated: ‘I would like it a lot. It would make me joyful. It would imply the world to me.’
James fell ‘in love’ with Alex after he was advised of his fundraiser by Carl Everitt, the co-owner of an area ice hockey membership.
He stated: ‘His story drew me in. If Depher can do something, this might be it. The arm will give a bit boy his life again. I fell in love with him.
‘He will keep in mind it for the remainder of his life and it’ll make his life significantly better. It will make a bit boy stay once more.
‘It was humbling to satisfy him, and it was fantastic to see his smile once I advised him. It was a simple resolution.
‘He is smiling and joyful and getting on together with his life. It’s simply fantastic to see a younger boy undergo a lot and simply wish to be as regular as doable.’
Dionne stated her son’s new arm meant the world for little Alex, including: ‘For us, it is life-changing, and James has simply completed it from the kindness of his coronary heart.
‘I by no means thought somebody can be so type. When James phoned me yesterday he simply stated, “Send me your bank details and I will send it”.
‘As quickly as we left his house, the three of us had an enormous hug. And after we acquired into the automobile, we began screaming.
‘Alex was saying: ‘I’ve acquired a brand new arm!’ He completely cherished it.’
Alex born after start. His mom Dionne defined that the very fact Alex did not have an arm did not present on her being pregnant scans
Little Alex, pictured as a child, desires to be ‘regular,’ his mom Dionne stated, including James’ generosity had been ‘life-changing’
Alex as a toddler. Dionne revealed that the soccer fan spend his birthdays wishing that his arm would develop again
Alex attending a soccer match together with his father Robin, left, and his mom Dionne, proper, who began his charity attraction
Alex, pictured not too long ago, with an grownup prosthetic arm. One he turns eight, the seven-year-old will quickly be fitted with an precise prosthetic limb
Dionne stated she’d had a standard being pregnant and did not anticipate that Alex can be born with just one arm after her scans got here again clear.
And the mum-of-one stated she’d always remember the ‘silence’ that descended on her labour unit when she talked about to nurses that her son did not have a full set of limbs.
She stated: ‘At 36 weeks they did a scan. You might see one in every of his arms, and it appeared like he was waving – like he was displaying his arm.
‘They stated his different arm was behind him, and I keep in mind considering: ‘At least he is acquired ten fingers and ten toes’. That caught with me.
‘I used to be in labour for 20 hours, after which I acquired to carry him for a couple of minutes earlier than they took him away.
‘But once I appeared over at him once more, I stated: ‘What’s that? He’s acquired a lacking arm?’
‘The silence was simply one thing I’ll always remember. But after they introduced him over once more, he was utilizing his arm as a dummy – sucking on it – and he appeared so lovable.’
James discovered web fame for fixing pipes and boilers for weak prospects freed from cost.
James discovered web fame for fixing pipes and boilers for weak prospects freed from cost
‘This fantastic and humbling donation of £20,000.00 will give hope to 1000’s of individuals, households and youngsters, particularly with the #CostOfLivingCrisis’, Jams wrote
The type gesture provoked an outpouring of assist to James, with many saying it was ‘vastly beneficiant’ of the couple
Hugh’s type donation comes because the actor and Anna attended Chanel ‘s Metiers d’Art present in Manchester on Thursday and sat subsequent to Tilda Swinton
James has helped 1000’s of aged and disabled folks in want since shutting down his non-public agency and launching not-for-profit firm Depher
He has helped 1000’s of aged and disabled folks in want since shutting down his non-public agency and launching not-for-profit firm DEPHER.
His acts of kindness went viral after an image of his invoice for £0 despatched to a 91-year-old girl with acute leukemia was posted on-line.
The receipt for the boiler restore was accompanied by a notice studying: ‘No cost for this girl beneath any circumstances. We will probably be obtainable 24 hours to assist her and maintain her as comfy as doable.’
The handyman, initially from Liverpool, has labored arduous to boost funds for the enterprise, utilizing crowdfunding and donations to allow him to assist folks in want throughout Lancashire.
The father-of-five stated he was impressed to wind down his non-public work and start Depher after seeing an aged man poorly handled by one other engineer.
Since 2017, James has supplied free or lower-cost plumbing to these in want all through the winter.
Hugh’s type donation comes because the actor and Anna attended Chanel‘s Metiers d’Art present in Manchester on Thursday.
The couple, who share three youngsters collectively, took their seat subsequent to Tilda Swinton for the star-studded occasion.
Hugh and Anna wed in 2018 on the Chelsea register workplace close to their £10million west London house.
The couple appeared blissfully joyful as they posed for photographs whereas arriving for the gathering showcase, designed by inventive director Virginie Viard.
