As parents we’ve all maintained at one time or another how we would do anything for our children. I hear it from parents all the time: “Oh, I would give anything to see my daughter happy.” “I would die for my son.” Yada, yada, yada… No offense, but some of these parents are the very ones who won’t shell out a buck more for their kid to get a grilled chicken sandwich at McDonald’s instead of the cheaper McChicken because they need the money to buy themselves a Big Mac or cigarettes on the way home. But I digress.
If you are looking for an example of a dad who is willing to do anything for his child, consider the story of Tony Duncan.
The Florida father recently made headlines when he chained himself to the electric meter outside his home. Duncan wasn’t trying to protest exorbitant electric rates; rather he was trying to help save his 5-year-old daughter, who would likely die without electricity.
Makayla Duncan requires a feeding tube and other electrical equipment to survive. Subsequently, the family’s electric bill is quite high since power is needed to run her life-sustaining equipment. Long story short, dad Tony reportedly has been out of work for more than a year because he had several strokes and seizures and has been unable to collect unemployment or find a new job because of his medical condition. Consequently, the family fell behind on its electric bill.
According to news reports, the Duncan’s hadn’t paid their electric bill since July and by November it had skyrocketed to about $2,000. Gulf Power officials gave the family until last week to settle their bill or the company would shut off electricity to their home. Since the Duncan’s had no way to get the money and Gulf Power wouldn’t give the family a break despite Makayla’s medical situation, Tony took matters into his own hands.
In a desperate attempt to keep power flowing to Makayla’s vital medical equipment her dad chained himself to the electric meter outside the family’s Highland Park home. News of Tony’s stunt spread quickly and soon a number of local TV stations began broadcasting the father’s plight around the viewing area.
In the end it wasn’t the power company that backed down (they continued to maintain that it was their prerogative to risk a child’s life over $2,000); rather an anonymous donor stepped up and paid the bulk of the Duncan’s bill. In addition, other TV viewers donated money to the family and some even offered Tony a job.
Gulf Power execs may (or may not) have their own version of this story that doesn’t make them appear as cutthroat and heartless. However, they declined to be interviewed by news crews following the outpouring of generosity by Good Samaritans in the Florida community.
In the end the company got their money, a little girl got to stay in her home, and a dad proved that he truly would do anything for the sake of his child.
Would you have done the same?
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