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Newborn Baby Held Captive by Hospital For 8 Months Because Father Couldn’t Pay Bill
A Chicago hospital took unusual measures, although not entirely uncommon for the time, to ensure a bill was paid
The decriminalization of debt has only been a more recent development in American history. In the past, many different measures, including imprisonment, were used to punish people unable to pay their bills. Then there was the case of a 1930s father during the Great Depression whose wife died during childbirth, and the couple’s child was held by the hospital where it was born because the full bill was unable to be paid.
The horrific story of what happened to little Elaine Shopkus of Chicago is unimaginable today. She was born prematurely on December 14, 1932 to Stanley and Bessie Shopkus at the Evangelical Hospital. Sadly, the mother died the following day because of appendicitis suffered when the birth delayed her necessary urgent surgery. The baby survived but had to be in an incubator for 19 days until she was able to survive on her own.
It was a time of great turmoil for Stanley. In addition to losing his wife and welcoming a daughter, he had lost his job just five days earlier. In the midst of the Great Depression, it was no easy matter for him to get back on his feet quickly. The hospital billed him $260 (worth nearly $6,500 in modern value), and when he indicated he couldn’t pay it right away, they refused to let him have his daughter.
The father scraped together $111 by the middle of January and stopped by the hospital to make the payment and collect his baby. Shockingly, he was still denied the child because, as he was told, he owed an additional $60 for the infant’s care during its stay.
Over the next several months, his repeated attempts to get his baby were denied by the hospital. Finally, in June, he was able to find part-time work, which still wasn’t sufficient for earning what was needed to pay the outstanding balance.
Deciding that he had enough, he went to the courts and demanded that the kidnapping be addressed once and for all. The hospital went all out in asserting their right to hold the baby. They claimed that Shopkus actually had money from his wife’s…
