THE TOXIC DEATH OF GLORIA RAMIREZ

INTRODUCTION

-----------------------

Medicine and health today is constantly evolving as scientists and researchers uncover new mysteries. The Placebo Effect, for instance, has been a widely debated topic among many modern-day scientists. Why does something with no beneficial value have the ability to cure patients? That question remains unsolved, but that is not the only mystery that leaves scientists baffled. The death of Gloria Ramirez continues to shake up the medical community with its unusual details. As a result of her case, Gloria is known today as the Toxic Woman.

OCCURRENCE

---------------------

Riverside General Hospital would fall into chaos on the night of February 19th, 1994. Around 8:15 PM, Gloria Ramirez is hauled into the emergency room. Ramirez had cervical cancer and was suffering from a host of unusual symptoms, including rapid heartbeats and low blood pressure. The people at the time noted how young Ramirez was: 31 years old, and yet facing illnesses that typically target the elderly. The staff immediately began to inject Ramirez with a host of different medications. Her health continued to decline significantly, so the staff decided to defibrillate her heart. As they stripped Ramirez of her clothing, the first set of oddities were noticed. First, several workers noticed that she appeared greasy. They described it as an “oily sheen” covering the majority of Ramirez’s body. Second, a strange odor seemed to emit from her mouth, described as smelling like a combination between fruit and garlic. Despite these strange details, the staff continued to defibrillate her in an attempt to save her life.

A nurse named Susan Kane decided to obtain Ramirez’s blood in an attempt to examine it. As Kane drew the blood, she noticed that it had a chemical stench to it, almost smelling exactly like ammonia. She handed the tube to Julie Gorchynski, a medical resident at the time. Her, along with Dr. Humberto Ochoa, noticed that there were manila-colored particles floating in the blood. At this point, the hospital began to collapse. Kane stated that she felt ill and then fainted. Not long after, Gorchynski began to feel light-headed. When a staff member asked if she was okay, Gorchynski fainted and began experiencing apnea, a condition where an individual would stop breathing for moments at a time. Soon, a respiratory therapist named Maureen Welch fainted as well, but then she woke up and stated that she was unable to control the movements of her limbs.

As more staff members fainted and reported to feel ill, Dr. Ochoa ordered the evacuation of the hospital. As staff and patients were moved into the parking lot, a few stayed behind in an attempt to save Ramirez’s life. All staff were ordered to strip down to their underwear and place their clothes in bags for the fear of dangerous chemicals. The ill staff continued to suffer unusual symptoms including apnea, uncontrollable movement of limbs, tremors, and a severe burning sensation on their skin and faces. At 8:50 PM, Ramirez is pronounced dead by Dr. Ochoa. In total, 23 of the 37 emergency staff members that night reported feeling ill from Ramirez.

After the scene, a hazmat team arrived to investigate for potential leaked noxious gases that may be in the hospital. None were found however. 5 staff members were hospitalized overnight, with Gorchynski in the worst condition. She developed multiple illnesses including avascular necrosis, where tissue began to die due to lack of blood supply. Avascular necrosis was found on her knees. As a result, Gorchynski was forced to use crutches for months after the incident.

THEORIES

---------------

Many different investigations occurred after this incident. Officials from 10 states, at the local, state, and federal levels, came to the hospital to question staff members and propose the theories. California’s Department of Health and Human Services put forward that the event was a result of mass hysteria. They stated that the blood tests of all staff members came back as normal after the event. They also noticed similarities that should not have occurred if fumes were released from the body, such as that the sick staff tended to be women. They pointed that the strange fruity, garlic odor was the pivot for the hysteria to begin. Many staff members fight against this theory. Gorchynski states that she did not suffer from mass hysteria and points to her medical conditions that night, including the avascular necrosis.

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory provides the most plausible theory. The laboratory proposed that Ramirez used dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to cure her condition. DMSO is stated to have a garlic-like odor as well. DMSO is noted to be potentially dangerous to use, but many underground users still sold DMSO as a way to treat various illnesses. It takes on a gel which is sold in many hardware stores. If Ramirez applied the cream to her body, this would explain the oily sheen that covered Ramirez’s body and the strange odor. Oxygen and electricity from the defilibration of Ramirez’s heart have been suspected to transform DMSO to dimethyl sulfate (DMSO4), a toxic chemical which may have resulted in the symptoms the staff of the hospital experienced. Furthermore, crystals are known to appear if dimethyl sulfone (DMSO2) is exposed to room temperature environments. This would explain the particles that appeared in the blood drawn from Ramirez. This theory, however, would not explain the ammonia smell Kane described when drawing Ramirez’s blood. It is also worth noting that Livermore Lab did not produce any successful simulation or tests of this possible chemical reaction occurring.

Meth smuggling has been widely criticized in the region, and this brings us to the next theory. People proposed that the staff had smuggled meth into the hospital via IV bags, and that one of the bags was accidentally used on Ramirez. The only evidence to support this theory is that meth is known for having an ammonia-like smell, which explains the chemical stench from Ramirez’s blood.

Other theories are thrown out as well. Sewer gas, negligent staff members, radioactive poisoning, and even aliens. The official explanation remains as mass hysteria, but that also remains as an unpopular theory. The Toxic Woman is still studied today as people attempt to search for a solution, but it may never be found.

SOURCES

--------------

Death of Gloria Ramirez (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Gloria_Ramirez)

Analysis of a Toxic Death (https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/analysis-of-a-toxic-death)

The Horrifying Gloria Ramirez Mystery And Death (https://www.icytales.com/horrifying-gloria-ramirez-mystery-and-death/)

The Baffling Death of Gloria Ramirez, The Toxic Lady (https://allthatsinteresting.com/gloria-ramirez)

Gloria Ramirez (https://alchetron.com/Gloria-Ramirez)

The Land of Cockaigne (oil painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder)