Good day Mr. Hunzinger I certainly hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. I am writing you today about a concern that I have encountered with your staff at Gainesville Regional Utilities. During this time my family and I have had to defer our light bill monthly. Last Month on May 25th, 2010, I called the GRU office because I had forgotten to call the day before to defer my bill and was told that there was nothing that they could do for me they were going to turn off our light bill unless we paid the $186.00 that was due by the close of day Tuesday May 25, 2010, by 6 pm.
Mr. Hunzinger, I have a son that is a medical necessity child. He is on 24 hours life support, is fed via G-tube, has a suction machine to control his saliva, a pulse ox machine to ensure that his oxygen level is stabilized, a oxygen concentrator that is use to help bring his oxygen level back to normal when he desat, and a cough assist machine that helps him to cough. All of these machines are operated unfortunately by GRU’s electricity.
Joshua was born on June 10, 2008, in September of the same year he was diagnose with a genetic disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a motor neuron disease. The motor neurons affect the voluntary muscles that are used for activities such as crawling, walking, head and neck control, and swallowing. Involvement of respiratory muscles (muscles involved in breathing and coughing) can lead to an increased tendency for pneumonia and other lung problems. It is a relatively common "rare disorder": approximately 1 in 6000 babies born are affected, and about 1 in 40 people are genetic carriers.
Mr. Hunzinger no one that day was able to work with our family to help us keep our lights on and keep our son alive. The list that was given to us mostly helped the elderly, and the rest either did not answer or returned phone call. When the GRU agent came by the house he told me there was nothing he could do if we did not pay the bill by 6pm that night he would be back to turn off our lights.
The heartbreak, the helplessness to know that our son’s life depends on GRU’s electricity and no one at your company was willing to go the extra mile to help. We were not saying that the bill would not be paid we were simply asking for the bill to be deferred until the 31st of the month when my husband got paid, a mere 6 days later.
Mr. Hunzinger, I was fortunate that day that my church was able to help us pay the bill and we did pay them back when my husband was paid, but please explain to me why there was no ability by your workers to help us. I later requested that my due date be changed to the last day of every month and was told by your staff that the latest that they can move our due date was the 22nd of the month and that GRU would eventually refuse to allow us to defer our bill. I do not understand, I am not saying that I will not pay my bill just simply asking for help from your company to aid us in a better time for paying our bill.
Mr. Hunzinger I understand that you have a company to run and that you cannot help the entire Gainesville community with their issues and their problems. I am writing you this letter in hopes that the next ventilator dependant baby using GRU electricity, family will not have to fear for the life of their child because the customer service representative who expressed concern and sympathy was only allowed to follow one script, which is, “I cannot do anything to help you, please pay your bill by 6pm tonight or we will turn off your lights.” What would happen to our sick baby who needs GRU electricity to survive, it is not your fault that we as parents were unable to make the proper arrangement to pay the bill, but is there no leniency or understanding in this most economical trying times.
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