Growing old is a blessing, but it can also be challenging. It’s extra challenging when you’re by yourself and dealing with declining health, as one woman in Texas demonstrated a few years ago. Luckily, some kind police officers were around to help.
A Standard Welfare Check
According to a Facebook post from officer Marquis Hines, he and his partner received a welfare check call in March 2020.
Neighbors were concerned about a 92-year-old woman with dementia who would walk up and down the road without realizing where she was and who sometimes thought she was locked out when her door was open.
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On this occasion, the neighbors brought her into their home to warm up because her hands were cold to the touch. That’s when they decided to call the police and get her help.
“We go by and check,” wrote Hines. “She has two sons who just forgot about her. No food in the fridge, only milk and old lemonade. Only eating a bag of Cheerios, place hasn’t been cleaned recently,” he continued.
“All she wanted to know is why her sons don’t bring her food or check on her. She said she just needs a couple sandwiches or something to at least not be hungry.”
Taking Action
The woman’s story touched the officers’ hearts and they knew they had to help. They left to get her some sandwiches, but they wanted to do more than that so they went to the grocery store.
“Without her knowing, we left and got her some groceries for her home,” Hines continued in his post. “Big rotisserie chicken, some sandwich items to last a week or two, some chunky soups, bunch of chips and meat, some waters.”
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The officers then presented the woman with the items and she was floored that someone would go to those lengths to help her.
“Knocked on her door and she was all smiles and in disbelief someone actually cared enough about her to even help,” Hines added. “Not always about running and gunning catching bad guys. Sometimes just showing someone they aren’t alone can change their lives.”
A Family Reunion
The officers didn’t stop there. They also started a crowdsourcing fundraiser to obtain more food and some items the woman needed, along with scheduled care. The post went viral and even attracted the attention of the woman’s sons, who had no idea things were so bad with their mother.
“I want to apologize to the sons for making it seem as if they just left her on her own for good. NOT the case,” Hines wrote in an update. “Her sons are involved in her life like a son should be, but can’t dedicate every minute as they have their own children and jobs also. I respect the family a lot more after speaking with them.”
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According to the officer, the sons had been searching for a home for their mother. As they made those arrangements, the family and Hines decided to put all the funds raised directly toward the home.
In May 2020, the woman was finally placed in proper care at a nursing home. “The money you guys raised out of the caring hearts from everyone has given her a home to stay in and will be properly taken care of,” Hines wrote in a final update.
“Her family will not have to wonder if she is doing anything that may put herself in danger due to her dementia.”
The Importance of Community
This heartwarming story went viral not only because of the kind neighbors who helped this woman and watched out for her, but because the officers who responded to the scene went out of their way to help her as well. They reminded people that police aren’t just here to protect the community but to serve and help it.
Their small acts of kindness snowballed and inspired dozens of people to help as well, proving once again that small deeds can make a big difference.
Whether you check in on your own neighbor who may be struggling, volunteer some of your time at a retirement center, or offer to pick up groceries for a sick or immobile person on your street, there are plenty of ways to ensure that your own community is taken care of.
After all, there's a reason they say kindness starts at home.
