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Elderly cancer patient calls 911 because he is hungry and has no food, operator comes to his home and makes him sandwiches

Clarence Blackmon had returned home after spending months in hospital

Heather Saul
Friday 15 May 2015 08:51 BST
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Clarence Blackmon called 911 for help because he was hungry and unable to leave the house to buy food
Clarence Blackmon called 911 for help because he was hungry and unable to leave the house to buy food

An elderly cancer patient with no immediate family says he rang 911 because he did not have any food and was physically unable to leave his house to buy something to eat.

Clarence Blackmon was discharged from hospital in Fayetteville, in North Carolina, on Tuesday after spending months there for cancer treatment. The 81-year-old returned to his house without any supplies and anyone close by to call for help, according to ABC 11 Eyewitness News.

Hungry and unable to buy food, he called 911 and asked if someone could buy some groceries for him. "What I need is someone to get to the grocery store and bring me some food because I need to eat something,” Mr Blackmon told the operator. “Whatever you can do to help. I can’t do anything. I can’t go anywhere. I can’t get out of my damn chair.”

An hour-and-a-half later, Marilyn Hinson, the operator he had been speaking with, arrived at his front door with police carrying bags full of food and made him some ham sandwiches.

"He was hungry," Ms Hinson said. "I've been hungry. A lot of people can't say that, but I can, and I cannot stand to see anyone go hungry."

Mr Blackmon described Ms Hinson as "amazing", adding: "Us little people need a helping hand every once in a while. Most of the time, we get overlooked. We're still here."

He will be getting a home healthcare assistant to check on him twice a week, but in the meantime ABC advised anyone in the area who would like to help him to contact Fable Police.

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