St Joseph, Mo. ? Faced with having her electricity turned off, along with the oxygen machine she needs to breathe, the outpouring of support for a St. Joseph woman has left her nearly breathless.

Mynie Milbourn, who used to share her house with her sister, recently realized she owed utility provider Aquila Inc. more than $800 in bills in her sister’s name.

Milbourn, 64, needs oxygen 24 hours a day, and a doctor faxed a note to the Kansas City-based energy company stating Milbourn’s medical condition

But that only postponed the disconnection for 21 days. It took a wave of donations from community members on Wednesday to keep her power on for good.

“My stress level, I think, has dropped,” Milbourn said. “I think that’s what got me feeling a little better.”

A local bank, which asked to remain anonymous, donated $400 to Milbourn, and Aquila received numerous calls from people asking to have donations applied to her account. The balance is now about $200, the amount Milbourn originally thought she owed.

“We’d like to thank whoever it was, because we do really do appreciate it,” said her daughter, Gayle Carroll.