There was a photo back in 2017 of a police officer washing the foot of a mentally ill woman that went viral. But not many know the story behind that powerful photo.
The officer in the photo is Martha Ruth Lohnes. She works in South Carolina and she considers it much more than a job; she considers it a chance to give back and change peoples’ lives. And she even loves working in what many would consider challenging neighborhoods, where she can shine a positive light and make a big difference.
So one day, in one of those challenging neighborhoods, she came across a mentally ill woman named Priscilla, a woman she had met previously during her visits. Priscilla was sitting under a bridge in an old, rotting wooden chair. Her legs were terribly swollen because of an infection in one of her feet. Many try to avoid her because she is just so different from them, but Martha wanted to be with her; she wanted to be her friend, and she had previously encouraged Priscilla to seek professional medical help.
Says Martha: “She refuses to go to the hospital although I have called an ambulance for her several times. I have begged her to let me take her to the hospital but she’s so stubborn and I can’t force her.”
So, with that, Martha bought some first-aid remedies, crouched down and began washing Priscilla’s infected foot. When she did this, the officer’s partner snapped the photo that would later go viral. She wasn’t looking for a pat on the back or even any sympathy for Priscilla. She did it ONLY because she cared.
Martha is a very religious woman and she felt very close to her religion by doing it. It makes her very sad when others around her wish those in the “challenging” areas did not exist. But as the photo of her washing Priscilla’s foot made its way around the Internet, many commented that Martha was doing it only for publicity.
Martha was hurt by this and had to take a break from social media. But as she did, paramedics who had seen the photo began tending to Priscilla, and they finally convinced her to go to the hospital. And after that, her foot was treated until it finally healed. The picture of Martha with Priscilla also did something else. Priscilla’s family had for a long time been looking for her. And now they had found her… they knew where she was. They convinced Priscilla to come with them and get off the streets.
So that one photo of Martha with Priscilla worked wonders; and some might say, even a miracle.
