She’s 91 years old, standing in a hospital gown, hands in chains. Arrested for felony theft. The judge could hardly believe it.

 

Helen and her husband George, 88, have been married 65 years. He has severe heart failure and needs medicine every day just to stay alive. They live on a fixed income, barely scraping by. Last month, their supplemental insurance lapsed after they couldn’t afford the payment.

When Helen went to pick up his prescription, the bill wasn’t their usual $50. It was $940. She left empty-handed.

 

For three days, she watched the man she loved struggle to breathe.

Desperate, she went back to the pharmacy. While the pharmacist turned away, she slipped the medication into her purse. She didn’t even make it to the door before she was stopped. The police charged her with felony shoplifting.

 

During booking, her blood pressure skyrocketed, and she was rushed to the hospital. The next morning, still in her thin gown, she was brought into court.

“I didn’t know what else to do,” she whispered. “He’s all I have.”

 

The judge looked at her — small, trembling, 91 years old — and shook his head.

“Take those chains off her,” he ordered. “This is not a criminal. This is a failure of our system.”

He dismissed the charges immediately and ordered emergency assistance for both her and George.