A Letter to the Community Constituency Group–of the AIDS
Clinical Trials Group

This letter, dated June 3, 1992 was sent by Patricia Bartlett, MSW, Duke
University AIDS Clinical Trials Unit.

Dear Community Constituency Group,

I would like for you of the Community Constituency Group to know that Maritza Ramos died early Monday morning, June 1st. She died peacefully at home with her husband and children around her. Although Maritza was only with the CCG for a short time, I would like to share a few words about her with you.

Maritza was an incredibly courageous woman. She found that she was HIV infected after her little daughter was born and subsequently died of PCP. At the time, she had one other child–a little boy. She and her son were tested and both tested positive. In looking back over her past, she found out that her first husband had died and had been an injecting drug user. Fortunately, her current husband was HIV negative.

Maritza never looked back. She enrolled in 019 and her son enrolled in the first pediatric protocol. She faced many roadblocks to her care. Her husband was in the military and the outfit he was with continually tried to bump him out because of her infection. The base hospital did not want to treat her. She drove several hours each study visit in order to keep herself and her son on study. Through the fairly heroic efforts of her physician and his commanding officer, her husband was reassigned to an office job with the service in Raleigh, NC, only 30 minutes drive from the Duke ACTU.

Maritza began her activist role with ACT UP and with the Women’s Center in Raleigh when she moved to Raleigh. She formed a women’s support group and invited infected women to her house where she could reassure them about their conditions. She spent a great deal of effort working with OB-GYNs to try to convince them that women’s’ medical problems might not be related to sexual promiscuity but rather to their HIV infection. She refused to accept their opinions that these recurrent infections were somehow “her fault.” When her son told his school and class that he had AIDS, despite her desire for him to keep it a secret, she became very involved with the school and AIDS education. She attended church groups to speak about safe sex and AIDS.

Maritza developed PCP in 1990. She refused to let her PCP slow her down. She worked at the National AIDS Hotline, started nursing school, and continued her support for women’s’ issues and HIV. She came to the Duke ACTU to meet with other women who were considering beginning a protocol. She talked to them about medications and about faith. She talked to other Catholic mothers and patients who were concerned about issues of guilt and blame. Maritza never blamed anyone for her illness. She embraced her community of PLWHIV as a family. She became a symbol of courage and strength our clinic.

Throughout all of this, Maritza remained a faithful mother and wife. She became a foster mother to her nephew and stepson, and continued to care for her HIV-infected child in a superior way. Her energy was amazing. As Maritza’s health deteriorated, she began planning. She planned for her funeral. She planned for who would care for her children to help her husband. She talked to the school where her children attended and tried to keep their minds on their studies. At a point when Maritza knew she would not recover, she turned to her faith and calmly waited for death. She talked about seeing her baby girl, now grown to a pretty little girl, gather flowers, waiting for her.

 Although the entire community has lost a wonderful person, one who cannot be replaced, we at least know that she is happy and that nothing can harm her now.

I would appreciate your sharing this story with the other members of the Community Constituency Group. I know that Maritza would appreciate it as well.

Trish Bartlett

DUKE University