Woman Using Burner To Heat Freezing Home Gets New Furnace

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Mary Thompson, 93, was shaking and shivering from the cold a month ago when we were called to her home – and then again on Saturday.

"Check this out," KDKA's Marty Griffin said, whose breath was visible when he exhaled. "That's how cold it is here in Mary's house."

"You wanna know how cold it is in this house?" Thompson asks while using a credit card to scrape off frost from her window. "This is an inside window."

Thompson had no working furnace. In fact, worried about her health, family members took her away and wouldn't let her back until her home is warm."

With that in mind, volunteers work furiously this past weekend to get her a new furnace.

Without this new furnace, Thompson could not another night in her home. Everything was shot. The furnace was 60 years old, the wiring in the home was described as dangerous.

A month ago, when KDKA got involved, we called in Tudi Mechanical, who brought space heaters. Although they weren't enough, so we called them again and put in a full blown furnace.

"Just do as much as we can," said Bob Tudi. "This is a gift from the employees, as much as it is a gift to the community. So we are happy to be able to do it."

Watching over all of the installation was Thompson's niece Beverly Mitchell, who was smiling from ear to ear.

"But I thank God for you," Mitchell said, "and from her, for coming out, and for all the help that you've given her."

Once the new furnace is in there, everything will be OK and the house will be warm.
Before then, Thompson used the burners on a stove in the basement to heat the house.

But thanks to the people who were heartbroken over the thought of Thompson shivering and shaking in her own home, she won't have to deal with that again.

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