Gloria Ramirez Mystery Of The Toxic Lady
In February 1994, Gloria Ramirez was admitted to the emergency room of Riverside General Hospital suffering of cervical cancer. She was known as “the toxic lady” because 23 workers in that emergency room became ill after exposure her body and blood. The woman had an oily sheen covering her skin and a fruity garlic-like smell. When her blood was drawn, the tube had a vague ammonia smell. It is still unclear how that creates such massive toxic effect to those around her.
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| Gloria Ramirez the Toxic Lady |
Ramirez was a housewife who had two children. Around 8:15 pm, she brought into the emergency room by ambulance. She shows sign of tachycardia (elevated heartbeat) and Cheyne Stokes respiration (deeper and faster breathing). The medical tried to sedate her, but then they notice oily sheen covering her body, and some noticed a fruity garlic-like smell that they thought was coming from her mouth. Then, a nurse draws blood which smells ammonia and saw white colored particles floating in her blood. That is when things got strange. All of sudden the nurse fainted and all medical resident began feeling nauseous. Overall, 23 people became ill and five were hospitalized. At 8:50 pm, after 45 minutes of CPR, Ramirez was dead from kidney failure related to her cancer.
An investigation immediately does after the incident. The county health department called in California's Department of Health and Human Services. They found that the workers were affected by toxic fumes released, and those who afflicted tended to be women rather than men. They scientist believed that they suffered from mass hysteria.
A further investigation released that Ramirez was using dimethyl sulfoxide as a painkiller which has a garlic-like taste. It also explained the greasy sheen on her skin. The dimethyl sulfoxide is crystalized in room temperature which explained white particles floating in her blood then blocked blood to kidney leads to kidney failure. It is still unclear how it was released as gas or created such massive toxic effect. Two months after her decomposed body was released for an independent autopsy and burial. Ten weeks after she died, Ramirez was buried in Olivewood Memorial Park.