US grandmother accused of drug trafficking met 'limit to what anyone can handle' in Hong Kong prison
Celia Eberhard was a healthy 65-year-old grandmother from California with a sense of adventure when she arrived in Hong Kong in the spring of last year for a short holiday.
But days later, she was thrown in jail, accused of trafficking dangerous drugs and facing a possible prison term of more than 20 years. For Eberhard, it was a potential death sentence.
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"For the first three months, I was numb," she says. "I've never been in trouble with any kind of law enforcement, so for me, this is not a normal thing to go through."
As she languished for more than 18 months in the Lo Wu Correctional Institute waiting for her trial, she desperately grasped at any glimmer of hope.
"The only thing that got me through was prayer and my belief in God. I'm not going to mince words, it was very hard. I'm strong, but still, there is a limit to what anyone can handle."
One of her darkest moments came when the person she expected to stand by her did the exact opposite. "My husband divorced me," she said. "I lost everything: I lost a marriage, I lost a home, I lost two of my kids."
But yesterday, as she walked out of court a free woman, elation replaced despair.
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With a new lease on life, Eberhard - or Sally as she is known to friends - has survived an ordeal that struck at her very core.
"I feel horrible simply because I've been an advocate against drugs all my life," she said. "My son has a shorter span of life because of drugs. He got involved in drugs about five years ago and the kind of drugs he took damaged his heart valve and it's [permanent]. So why would I carry drugs to hurt another child? Never. I would never do that.
"I've spoken to girls in prison who have done it again and again and they've made thousands of dollars and they would do it again because they say it helps their families. But I wouldn't do it. I would rather work. I'll sweep your floor, but do something illegal, no."
Eberhard was speaking earlier this month over lunch. With her hair newly cut and dyed and wearing splashes of makeup, she sipped on lemonade on the outdoor terrace of a Tsim Sha Tsui restaurant, eating a slice of fresh crab and avocado bruschetta.
Just weeks earlier, before she was granted bail, she dared not even dream of such a thing.
"I'm very happy that I've made it this far. The only thing that really brought me down was the fact that I lost so much weight. I lost 25kg while I was in prison."
A few months ago, prison doctors found a large mass growing near her liver and she had an operation to remove it, from which she is still recovering.
Eberhard's story began when she answered a job posting on classified-ads website Craigslist.
She ended up taking a clerical job for a male employer, who later arranged for her to go on journeys abroad.
"Had he done that at the outset, I wouldn't have done it, but over time I had come to trust him."
In 2013, the man arranged an all-expenses paid trip to Spain and Japan for Eberhard and she returned home without a hitch.
"So coming to Hong Kong, I thought it was the same thing. I'm getting older and I'm not going to get the opportunity to travel and see the world."
In April, 2014 she checked into the Holiday Inn in Soho and spent a few days sightseeing, taking the Star Ferry across the harbour, sampling local delicacies and visiting museums.
Watch: Alleged drug smugglers cleared of charges in Hong Kong
On her last day in Hong Kong, an unnamed Putonghua-speaking woman came to her hotel and gave her the US$1,500 she was owed for jobs she had done for her contact.
The woman also gave her a suitcase full of clothes, all with the tags on, as a gift, which she happily accepted. "The next thing I know, I was being handcuffed,'' she said. Hidden in the lining of the suitcase was 2.5kg of crystal methamphetamine.
About 30 minutes before she was due to fly to Australia, customs officers approached her and searched her bag.
"They said it was Ice and I was arrested. From that moment on, I became a zombie. It's like your brain turns off and you're not you anymore. They put me in handcuffs, paraded me through the airport."
Her blood pressure skyrocketed and she was taken to hospital where she stayed for several days to recover before appearing in court.
Her family was devastated when they found out, and two of her sons no longer speak to her.
"They thought: 'How can mom do that?' But I had to keep my energy to survive. I didn't have the time or the inclination to beg them. When I go back, I'll make amends with them.
"I'm angry because I didn't do anything wrong. Had I been guilty, sure, take my freedom. I'm not saying feel sorry for Sally, but I won't ever be able to recover what I've lost."
