Helen and Charley – now forbidden to be together. Photo taken by family friend.
by Health Impact News/MedicalKidnap.com Staff
“Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate.” That is a quote from the Bible that Helen Taylor has been holding on to for the years since her husband Charley was medically confined against his wishes and the wishes of his wife.
It appears that an elected official in Morgan County, Missouri, has the power to keep apart the couple, no matter how much they want to be together.
Last week Health Impact News reported their story:
Husband of Retired Missouri Couple Medically Kidnapped – Estate Plundered to Pay for Unwanted Medical Confinement
Shortly after our article was published, the day before Valentine’s Day, Helen was told that she is no longer permitted to visit her husband in the nursing home, which is located in Callaway County, Missouri. Helen is devastated. She told us:
He is the love of my life. We just want to be together.
During Helen’s visit with Charley Monday at the nursing home, she said 2 nursing home employees told her that the administrator wanted to meet with her in her office. In that meeting, Helen was told that she was not allowed on the premises anymore. Further, if she returned, they would call the sheriff’s department, and she would be arrested, according to Helen.
She was handed a letter signed by Conservator Amanda Huffman stating that Helen was interfering with Charley’s care and that the nursing home was to stop all visits from her with her husband.
Letter handed to Helen Taylor the day before Valentine’s Day.
Even Charley’s friends are reportedly being turned away from visiting him since Huffman’s order. Later in the day on Monday, a friend of the Taylors came to visit him. She was escorted off the property by three female staff members. She was told:
No one can come to see Charles Taylor without calling Amanda Huffman, and she has to approve it.
Helen said that visitors cannot call Huffman ahead of time, and that someone from the nursing home has to make the call while the visitor is present. Helen said that Amanda Huffman “doesn’t answer her phone.”
One issue that Huffman apparently had was that Health Impact News has published photos (copyrights of which are owned by Helen) of Charley without her permission.
Even though Amanda Huffman is legally Charley’s conservator (despite the wishes of both Charley and Helen Taylor), how is it possible that she could hold so much power as to forbid a wife to have photographs of her own husband?
Charley has consented to being photographed by his wife and by the couple’s friends. (Note: Helen had lots of photographs of Charley and of their life together, but the photographs also went missing when thieves broke into their home and stole everything of importance shortly after Charley was forced into his medical confinement.)
Charley Speaks with Health Impact News
In fact, Charley has made it clear that he wants nothing more than to go home with his wife.
One of our reporters spoke with Charley recently regarding the Health Impact News article and he verified that the article was true. The reporter found Charley to be very articulate and coherent.
When asked about allegations emailed to us that Helen had tried to hurt him, he was indignant:
That’s nuts. My wife and I love each other very much!
Helen is very much afraid for her husband’s safety. She has described numerous occasions when his care has been neglected, and she has made sure that staff took care of him properly. Without her checking in on him, she fears that he will not fare well.
Helen told us the nursing home staff sometimes leaves Charley’s pants below his waist because “they don’t want to go through the trouble of pulling them up.” Also, she said that on Sunday, Charley got a shower for the first time in 14 days, after lying in bed for 19 hours with a wet Depend. She said:
Now they can let him lay for the rest of his life and not give him a shower, because I won’t know it.
Helen is also concerned about the small amounts of food that Charley is served at the nursing home. She reports:
My husband’s only being kept alive by the food that we take to him. Yesterday they brought him lunch – 4 teaspoons of peas. An aide took the plate and walked out. She said, “I’ll be right back.” She came back in about 15 to 20 mins without Charley’s plate.
She is afraid for his very life. She has many wonderful memories of their life together, and she wants to be there for him. Her wedding vows said they would stand together “till death do us part.” How is it, then, that an elected conservator can violate their sacred vows and keep them apart?
How You Can Help
Contact:
Missouri Governor Eric Greitens at (573) 751-3222, or reach him here. He is also on Facebook and Twitter.
Two different counties are involved in this case. The nursing home where Charley Taylor is being held is in Callaway County. This is also where Helen currently resides. She moved there in order to be closer to her husband.
Their state Representative for that area is Travis Fitzwater, and he may be reached at 573-751-5226, or contacted here. He is on Facebook and Twitter.
The State Senator for the area is Jeanie Riddle, and she may be reached at (573) 751-2757, or contacted here.
The Taylors lived in Morgan county when Charley was taken into captivity. Here are the legislators for that area:
Representative David Wood may be reached at (573) 751-2077, or contacted here.
The Senator is Mike Kehoe. He may be reached at (573) 751-2076, or contacted here.
Conservator Amanda Huffman was elected to the office of Public Administrator in 2012. According to the county website:
The Public Administrator is an advocate for their clients and will work toward improving the quality of life for those under guardianship while protecting their dignity and self-respect. Making decisions should always be in the best interest of the client.
Amanda Huffman can be contacted here. She is also on Facebook.
The judge who awarded custody to Amanda Huffman is Judge Kevin Schehr. He can be contacted here.
When contacting public officials, always be kind and courteous. Health Impact News does NOT condone threats or rudeness.
Comment on this article at MedicalKidnap.com.