Imagine living without power for two months, unable to turn on the lights, use a fan or air conditioner, or even make toast. In Canada, electricity is a basic necessity for daily activities, but not for this Toronto senior. Maxine Stirling Dawe, a 74-year-old retiree, endured over two months without electricity in her one-bedroom rental apartment. During the recent sweltering heat wave, she faced discomfort and potential danger due to the lack of power.

In a testament to the real politeness of Canadians, a donor who wishes to remain anonymous paid for Dawe’s electricity bill who was forced to live with no electricity after her hydro bill got into arrears.

Stirling Dawe lives alone and fell behind on her Toronto Hydro bill because she helped support her son with extra needs. In April, she received a disconnection notice. In early May, the utility cut off her service and she faced a bill of over $1,400, including interest and a reconnection fee.

“They wouldn’t give me a chance. They said they wanted all or nothing,” Stirling Dawe told Global News during an interview in her apartment on June 24. She mentioned that she was willing to pay back the amount owed but needed more time and a payment plan. Toronto Hydro stated that they are “committed to supporting our customers in any way we can to avoid disconnection.”

However, in Stirling Dawe’s case, such a plan was not made available. She said it’s unclear why. On learning about Dawe’s plight through a news story, a kind-hearted person, who wishes to remain anonymous, decided to help. The viewer contacted the reporter and offered to pay for Stirling Dawe’s overdue electricity bill so that she could have her power restored as soon as possible.

Within 24 hours of exchanging emails, Stirling Dawe’s electricity was back on. The donor preferred not to receive any public recognition for this act of kindness as she paid $1,064.97 to Toronto Hydro, which then volunteered to waive a reconnection fee, interest, and late payment charges.

When asked what she would like to say to the woman who helped her, Stirling Dawe became emotional and said, “I just want to say thank you very, very much. You are my angel here today.”

According to one of her friends, Dawe is incredibly involved in the community and the church. She helps everyone and has faced struggles for a long time,” Back on the street in front of her apartment, Stirling Dawe still couldn’t believe she had received so much help from a stranger.