The Toxic Enigma: Unraveling the Baffling Case of Gloria Ramirez, the Woman Whose Body Poisoned Dozens

[00:00:00] Are you ready to take the next step in your health journey, but tired of being shamed and blamed for your weight? Let me introduce you to Mochi Health, because weight loss isn't about the next fad diet. It's about having access to professional healthcare advice to help you with your goals. Mochi takes a holistic approach to weight loss, combining science-backed medications, personalized nutrition, and real support from board-certified doctors.

[00:00:26] At Mochi, you'll get access to powerful FDA-approved medications like GLP-1s. Think Ozempic and even generic compounded versions that are affordable and delivered right to your door. You'll also receive customized support from registered dietitians who work hand-in-hand with your medication to design a nutrition plan that fits your everyday life.

[00:00:48] No more guesswork. Whether you have insurance or not, Mochi makes this process affordable and accessible to everyone. That means expert care from start to finish, without the red tape.

[00:01:00] I'm very much a fact and science-based thinking kind of person. Quite frankly, I'm tired of feeling shamed into losing weight. It's not about dropping numbers on a scale. It's about making science-backed decisions about your body in partnership with board-certified doctors and dietitians who will guide you every step of the way.

[00:01:21] And Mochi is giving Serial Napper listeners an incredible deal. $40 off their program by visiting joinmochi.com and using my code SERIALNAPPER, all one word.

[00:01:34] Save yourself $40 off a health program that's truly personalized to you by using code SERIALNAPPER at checkout at joinmochi.com today.

[00:01:44] The case featured in this episode has been researched using police records, court documents, witness statements, and the news.

[00:01:52] Listener discretion is advised. All parties mentioned are innocent until proven guilty, and all opinions are my own.

[00:02:19] Hey everyone, my name is Nikki Young, and this is Serial Napper, the true crime podcast for naps.

[00:02:26] I'm back with another true crime story to lull you to sleep, or perhaps to give you nightmares.

[00:02:31] This is episode 3 of another season of Serial Nightmare, a Halloween series that I do every year for the month of October.

[00:02:39] So everything I release this month will either be Halloween-related or more on the spooky side, but of course, always true crime.

[00:02:48] Gloria Ramirez, a 31-year-old wife and mother from Riverside, California, was known as a warm-hearted joker who was always ready to uplift others.

[00:02:58] She led a mostly ordinary life, deeply loved by her family and community.

[00:03:04] But on February 19th, 1994, everything changed when Gloria was rushed to Riverside General Hospital, gravely ill.

[00:03:13] She had recently been diagnosed with cervical cancer, and it was spreading to other parts of her body.

[00:03:19] However, that night, she would lose her life.

[00:03:23] Not to cervical cancer, but a medical mystery that haunts medical professionals to this day.

[00:03:30] After her death, several emergency room staff members who were treating her felt violently ill,

[00:03:37] seemingly due to exposure to her body and blood, sparking fear and confusion.

[00:03:43] Dubbed the toxic lady, Gloria's case has puzzled investigators for decades.

[00:03:49] Various theories have emerged to explain the strange reactions.

[00:03:53] Medical authorities have said it could be a case of mass hysteria, or a chemical reaction from her pain meds.

[00:04:00] But Gloria's family is convinced she died as a result of unsafe conditions at the hospital, and they should be held accountable.

[00:04:10] Gloria Ramirez's tragic death remains one of the most perplexing medical mysteries to this day.

[00:04:16] Yet her family remains firm in their belief that something criminal caused her demise.

[00:04:22] So, let's jump right in.

[00:04:24] Not much is known about Gloria Ramirez's life before her bizarre death made the front page of international news.

[00:04:31] That fact alone makes her story even more tragic.

[00:04:35] Gloria was born on January 11, 1963, and she lived the vast majority of her life in Riverside, California.

[00:04:44] At one point, she was married, and although her marriage failed, she was gifted two beautiful children, a son and a daughter from that union.

[00:04:53] She's been described as a friend to many who loved to make others laugh, a carefree jokester who lived an ordinary life.

[00:05:02] Before her death, Gloria resided with her two children and her boyfriend in Riverside.

[00:05:07] About a year before that fateful day in the emergency room, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer, which had now begun to spread to other parts of her body.

[00:05:16] Unfortunately for Gloria, she was unemployed at the time, and she didn't have medical insurance.

[00:05:23] So getting proper treatment, it would be a challenge.

[00:05:27] Much of Gloria's family wasn't even aware of her cancer diagnosis.

[00:05:31] She was a really private person who quietly battled her illness on her own.

[00:05:37] It's believed that she had recently begun chemotherapy treatment, but she was struggling to find a way to continue to pay for them.

[00:05:44] And in my opinion, that is not something that should ever be an issue for someone going through something as awful as cancer.

[00:05:51] I can't imagine wanting so badly to live, and then struggling to find the money to pay for these very expensive treatments, all while being sick.

[00:06:02] On February 19th, 1994, her symptoms became too much for her to handle.

[00:06:09] I've read some reports that say that she was in palliative care at the time because her cancer was terminal,

[00:06:15] while other reports suggest that she was at home living with her boyfriend and that the cancer was treatable.

[00:06:22] Whoever it was with her, they decided to call 911 because things were not looking so good.

[00:06:28] Gloria was weak from vomiting all day.

[00:06:31] She couldn't keep anything down, not even water, and she was becoming severely dehydrated.

[00:06:37] Her symptoms did not appear to be letting up.

[00:06:40] They were only getting worse as the day went on, so it was requested that they send an ambulance to finally take her to the hospital.

[00:06:48] Gloria wound up at General Hospital in Riverside.

[00:06:52] Wearing shorts and a t-shirt, she was quickly wheeled into the emergency room by the paramedics,

[00:06:58] who were watching her vitals weaken.

[00:07:00] She was conscious, but she wasn't able to answer the medical staff's questions because she was having trouble breathing.

[00:07:08] Her heart was beating out of her chest, and her blood pressure, it was dropping rapidly.

[00:07:14] Gloria appeared to be going through cardiac arrest,

[00:07:18] a situation that the nurses and doctors in the emergency room, they had dealt with many times before.

[00:07:23] However, Gloria's case was unusual because she was only 31 years old.

[00:07:30] Now she's flailing around on the gurney, so the medical team begins to sedate her.

[00:07:36] They give her a combination of Valium and Ativan to calm her down,

[00:07:40] enough for them to begin to perform life-saving measures.

[00:07:43] Respiratory therapist Maureen Welch, who was working on Gloria that evening,

[00:07:47] she used an Ambu bag to force air into her lungs.

[00:07:51] You've likely seen this device used on TV.

[00:07:54] There's a mask that goes over the patient's mouth, which is connected to an airbag

[00:07:59] that is manually squeezed as an alternative to mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

[00:08:03] It's noted at that point that there's this fruity, garlic odor that's coming from her mouth,

[00:08:09] but it isn't paid too much attention at that time.

[00:08:13] Gloria's vitals continue to plummet,

[00:08:16] and it's decided that they will need to attempt to defibrillate her heart.

[00:08:21] When they cut off her shirt to use the defibrillator, they found something unusual.

[00:08:26] Her skin appears to be coated in a greasy, oily substance.

[00:08:30] No one has any idea what it is, but they continue working on her.

[00:08:35] A registered nurse named Susan Cain uses a syringe on Gloria's right arm to obtain a blood sample,

[00:08:42] and to her shock, the blood that's being extracted has this strong chemical smell.

[00:08:48] She passes the syringe to her colleagues to have them smell it,

[00:08:52] and they too note that it smells like a chemical, almost like an ammonia smell.

[00:08:58] There also appears to be little yellow crystal particles that are floating in the blood,

[00:09:04] which, I mean, that's not typical.

[00:09:06] As the medical staff takes note of all the unusual circumstances surrounding this patient,

[00:09:12] all hell seems to break loose.

[00:09:15] Susan, the nurse who had withdrawn the blood from Gloria and first noticed that ammonia smell,

[00:09:21] she passed right out.

[00:09:23] When she regained consciousness, she said that it felt like her face was on fire.

[00:09:29] Susan was swiftly removed from the trauma room and taken to her own room for examination

[00:09:34] because she wasn't feeling well.

[00:09:36] Dr. Julie Gorchinski, a medical resident who was also working on Gloria,

[00:09:42] she suddenly says that she too feels lightheaded.

[00:09:45] She stumbles out of the trauma room and she goes to sit at the nurse's station to try to pull herself together.

[00:09:52] Instead, she too passes out, falling limp to the floor.

[00:09:57] This was the second medical staff member to suddenly faint and need to be taken away for examination,

[00:10:03] but she wouldn't be the last.

[00:10:06] Maureen Welch, the respiratory therapist,

[00:10:09] she too would suddenly collapse on the trauma room floor and need to be wheeled away.

[00:10:14] Soon, several other hospital staff members reported feeling nauseous and dizzy,

[00:10:19] so the emergency room was ordered to be evacuated.

[00:10:23] No one knew what the hell was going on,

[00:10:26] but the sudden illnesses that staff members were experiencing,

[00:10:29] where they were fainting like they were severe.

[00:10:32] Some of them were struggling to breathe,

[00:10:35] while others couldn't feel their limbs.

[00:10:37] Only a skeleton crew stayed behind in the trauma room to try to continue working on Gloria

[00:10:43] and to save her life.

[00:10:45] However, within just 36 minutes of arriving at the hospital,

[00:10:49] Gloria was pronounced dead.

[00:10:51] Her body would be moved to an isolation room by a nurse,

[00:10:55] who reportedly vomited afterward and experienced a burning sensation all over her body.

[00:11:02] Following Gloria's death,

[00:11:04] numerous hospital workers who had been in the emergency room with the sick woman,

[00:11:09] they would report experiencing a wide range of symptoms,

[00:11:13] particularly nausea, shortness of breath,

[00:11:16] and that burning feeling all over their skin.

[00:11:19] Thankfully, most of them recovered quickly with no long-term side effects.

[00:11:23] However, there were three who had substantial health concerns.

[00:11:28] All three, including nurse Susan Cain,

[00:11:31] Dr. Julie Gorchinski,

[00:11:33] and respiratory therapist Maureen Welch,

[00:11:35] they had all smelled the syringe that was used to draw Gloria's blood,

[00:11:39] and they had all noted that chemical ammonia smell emanating from it.

[00:11:43] Susan was kept in the hospital for 10 days,

[00:11:46] suffering from tremors and apnea,

[00:11:49] where intermittently she would just stop breathing.

[00:11:52] Dr. Gorchinski's condition,

[00:11:54] it was particularly bad.

[00:11:57] Before working on Gloria in that emergency room that night,

[00:12:00] she was reported to be in excellent health.

[00:12:03] However, after fainting,

[00:12:05] she spent two weeks in the intensive care unit

[00:12:08] and then three months in a wheelchair.

[00:12:10] She had severe damage to her lungs and her legs.

[00:12:15] She suffered from hepatitis,

[00:12:17] pancreatitis,

[00:12:18] and a vascular necrosis,

[00:12:21] which is a really disturbing and aggressive condition

[00:12:23] where your bone tissue begins to deteriorate and die.

[00:12:28] Listen to a clip of Dr. Gorchinski speaking to 2020 from her hospital bed.

[00:12:33] When I asked the nurse to start an IV,

[00:12:35] that about coincidentally at the same time,

[00:12:38] I smelled, you know, ammonia.

[00:12:40] To me it was ammonia.

[00:12:41] And I kind of made a comment that,

[00:12:43] you know,

[00:12:44] that's really strong ammonia,

[00:12:45] and I kind of felt, you know,

[00:12:47] like I was going to pass out then.

[00:12:48] So I moved around to the other side of the bed

[00:12:51] to get away from the fumes.

[00:12:52] She then told me what she believes made her sick.

[00:12:55] And in retrospect,

[00:12:56] which I shouldn't have done,

[00:12:57] I smelled the blood.

[00:12:58] And a few seconds later,

[00:13:00] I wasn't feeling good myself.

[00:13:01] And just remember waking up,

[00:13:03] being helped to be breathed with a mask.

[00:13:06] Just laying in bed here,

[00:13:07] I kind of feel like a nine-year-old lady.

[00:13:09] My lungs still aren't up to par.

[00:13:11] You know,

[00:13:12] it just brushed my hair

[00:13:13] and I'm very exhausted.

[00:13:14] After the bizarre events of that night,

[00:13:17] an extensive investigation was launched

[00:13:19] to determine what had caused

[00:13:21] so many of the medical staff

[00:13:22] to become sick

[00:13:23] while working on this particular patient.

[00:13:27] It's time for a quick break

[00:13:28] and a word from tonight's sponsors.

[00:13:31] Hang on,

[00:13:31] I'll be back before you know it.

[00:13:34] I want to talk to you about hormone harmony.

[00:13:37] Ladies, let's be real.

[00:13:39] Sometimes Aunt Flo shows up to the party

[00:13:41] completely uninvited,

[00:13:43] and she brings all her baggage with her.

[00:13:46] Occasional bloating,

[00:13:47] mild mood swings,

[00:13:48] cravings,

[00:13:49] and a schedule that's, well,

[00:13:50] completely unpredictable.

[00:13:52] That's why I started taking

[00:13:54] hormone harmony.

[00:13:55] Hormone harmony isn't just for menopause.

[00:13:57] It's for any woman

[00:13:59] who's struggling with the rollercoaster

[00:14:00] of maintaining optimal hormone levels.

[00:14:02] It's an absolute lifesaver

[00:14:05] for those symptoms

[00:14:06] that can put your entire life on pause.

[00:14:08] Here's the magic of hormone harmony.

[00:14:11] It's packed with science-backed

[00:14:13] herbal extracts called adaptogens.

[00:14:15] These powerful ingredients

[00:14:17] help your body adapt

[00:14:18] to the natural stressors

[00:14:20] and changes that happen

[00:14:21] throughout a woman's life.

[00:14:22] Whether it's that chaotic

[00:14:24] time of the month

[00:14:24] or the hormonal shifts

[00:14:26] that come with menopause.

[00:14:27] With hormone harmony,

[00:14:29] you'll feel more balanced,

[00:14:31] more in control,

[00:14:32] and more like yourself,

[00:14:34] no matter what stage of life you're in.

[00:14:36] With a bottle of hormone harmony

[00:14:37] sold every 24 seconds

[00:14:39] and over 17,000 reviews,

[00:14:42] you can't go wrong.

[00:14:43] So if you're tired

[00:14:44] of those monthly surprises

[00:14:45] or menopause symptoms

[00:14:46] that steal your energy and joy,

[00:14:49] give hormone harmony a try.

[00:14:50] It's time to get back

[00:14:52] to feeling you again.

[00:14:53] For a limited time,

[00:14:54] you can get 15% off

[00:14:56] on your entire first order

[00:14:57] at happymammoth.com.

[00:14:59] Just use the code

[00:15:00] CERIALNAPPER,

[00:15:01] all one word,

[00:15:02] at checkout.

[00:15:03] That's happymammoth.com

[00:15:05] and use the code

[00:15:06] CERIALNAPPER

[00:15:07] for 15% off today.

[00:15:11] Now back to our story.

[00:15:15] Just before midnight,

[00:15:16] the Riverside County

[00:15:17] Hazardous Materials Team

[00:15:19] arrived at the hospital

[00:15:20] wearing hazmat suits.

[00:15:22] Dozens of potential theories

[00:15:24] were looked at

[00:15:24] by investigators

[00:15:25] from local

[00:15:26] and federal government departments.

[00:15:28] At first,

[00:15:30] it was suspected that

[00:15:30] maybe there was

[00:15:31] some sort of toxic leak

[00:15:33] seeping into the air.

[00:15:35] Perhaps a sewer gas leak.

[00:15:37] Just the year prior,

[00:15:39] there had been

[00:15:39] a sewer gas leak

[00:15:40] in this particular

[00:15:41] emergency room.

[00:15:43] Maybe it was

[00:15:44] a repeat issue.

[00:15:45] The release of

[00:15:46] hydrogen sulfide,

[00:15:47] aka sewer gas,

[00:15:49] is highly toxic

[00:15:50] and it can even

[00:15:51] kill a person

[00:15:52] with the smallest exposure,

[00:15:54] just a whiff or two

[00:15:55] of the gas.

[00:15:56] However,

[00:15:57] the hazmat team,

[00:15:58] they found

[00:15:58] no such leak.

[00:16:00] They also investigated

[00:16:01] whether there was

[00:16:02] some sort of

[00:16:02] chemical attack

[00:16:03] on the hospital

[00:16:04] that evening.

[00:16:05] Perhaps someone

[00:16:06] had targeted

[00:16:07] the emergency department

[00:16:08] releasing a substance

[00:16:10] like hydrogen cyanide,

[00:16:12] which is a colorless,

[00:16:13] poisonous substance

[00:16:14] that smells like almonds,

[00:16:15] and it can be released

[00:16:17] into outdoor air

[00:16:18] as an aerosol spray

[00:16:19] or as a gas.

[00:16:21] Again,

[00:16:22] there was no evidence

[00:16:23] that anything

[00:16:24] like that had occurred.

[00:16:26] Of course,

[00:16:27] investigators couldn't

[00:16:28] ignore the reports

[00:16:30] of what condition

[00:16:31] Gloria Ramirez's

[00:16:32] body was in,

[00:16:32] the fruity,

[00:16:34] garlic scent

[00:16:35] that was coming

[00:16:35] from her breath,

[00:16:36] the ammonia chemical

[00:16:38] smell coming

[00:16:39] from her blood,

[00:16:40] and the oily substance

[00:16:41] that was slicked

[00:16:43] all over her skin.

[00:16:44] Could the toxic fumes

[00:16:46] have been coming

[00:16:46] from her?

[00:16:47] Were they released

[00:16:48] from her body

[00:16:49] while the doctors,

[00:16:50] nurses,

[00:16:51] and other medical

[00:16:52] professionals

[00:16:52] were working on her?

[00:16:53] There would be

[00:16:55] three different autopsies

[00:16:56] conducted on

[00:16:57] Gloria Ramirez.

[00:16:58] They had no idea

[00:17:00] what they were looking for,

[00:17:02] but believing

[00:17:03] that her body

[00:17:03] could be harboring

[00:17:04] toxic substances,

[00:17:06] they took no chances.

[00:17:08] The autopsies

[00:17:09] were conducted

[00:17:10] in these airtight

[00:17:11] chambers

[00:17:11] with medical examiners

[00:17:13] who were fitted

[00:17:14] head to toe

[00:17:15] in bunny suits.

[00:17:16] They took

[00:17:17] hair samples,

[00:17:18] blood samples,

[00:17:19] tissue samples,

[00:17:20] all of which

[00:17:21] was sent off

[00:17:22] to the Forensic Science

[00:17:23] Center at the

[00:17:24] Lawrence Livermore

[00:17:24] National Laboratory.

[00:17:26] Everyone was

[00:17:27] expecting

[00:17:28] some kind of

[00:17:29] bombshell revelation,

[00:17:31] but all of the

[00:17:32] results came back

[00:17:33] with nothing

[00:17:33] out of the ordinary.

[00:17:35] There were

[00:17:36] no toxic gases

[00:17:37] or substances

[00:17:38] found in Gloria's

[00:17:39] body that would

[00:17:40] have killed her

[00:17:41] and made the

[00:17:42] hospital staff sick.

[00:17:43] According to the report,

[00:17:45] her cause of death

[00:17:46] was as a result

[00:17:47] of heart and

[00:17:48] kidney failure,

[00:17:49] which was caused

[00:17:50] by her late-stage

[00:17:51] cervical cancer.

[00:17:53] Case closed.

[00:17:54] Which then

[00:17:55] led investigators

[00:17:56] to push this

[00:17:57] theory of

[00:17:58] mass hysteria.

[00:18:00] According to

[00:18:01] Healthline,

[00:18:01] mass hysteria

[00:18:02] refers to an

[00:18:03] outbreak of

[00:18:04] unusual and

[00:18:05] uncharacteristic

[00:18:05] behaviors,

[00:18:06] thoughts,

[00:18:07] feelings,

[00:18:08] or health

[00:18:09] symptoms that

[00:18:09] are shared

[00:18:10] amongst a

[00:18:10] group of

[00:18:11] people.

[00:18:12] Those affected

[00:18:13] by mass

[00:18:14] hysteria

[00:18:14] typically believe

[00:18:15] something specific

[00:18:16] has triggered

[00:18:17] their symptoms.

[00:18:18] They don't

[00:18:19] have an

[00:18:20] underlying

[00:18:20] health condition

[00:18:21] that could

[00:18:21] prompt those

[00:18:22] symptoms,

[00:18:22] and they

[00:18:23] wouldn't behave

[00:18:24] in that way

[00:18:25] on a regular

[00:18:25] basis.

[00:18:26] They may

[00:18:27] share an

[00:18:27] extreme fear

[00:18:28] of an

[00:18:28] exaggerated

[00:18:29] or non-existent

[00:18:30] threat.

[00:18:31] Medical

[00:18:32] detectives

[00:18:32] initially believed

[00:18:33] that the

[00:18:34] healthcare

[00:18:34] workers in

[00:18:35] the trauma

[00:18:35] room with

[00:18:36] Gloria

[00:18:36] were triggered

[00:18:37] by stress

[00:18:38] and the

[00:18:38] unusual smell

[00:18:39] that was

[00:18:40] emanating from

[00:18:41] her body.

[00:18:42] This theory

[00:18:43] was supported

[00:18:44] by both

[00:18:44] the Department

[00:18:45] of Health

[00:18:45] Services

[00:18:46] and the

[00:18:47] Occupational

[00:18:48] Safety and

[00:18:48] Health

[00:18:49] Administration,

[00:18:49] and it

[00:18:50] was backed

[00:18:50] up by

[00:18:51] reports that

[00:18:52] only some

[00:18:53] of the

[00:18:53] workers that

[00:18:53] night smelled

[00:18:54] that chemical

[00:18:55] scent and

[00:18:56] got sick,

[00:18:57] while others

[00:18:57] reported that

[00:18:58] there weren't

[00:18:59] any unusual

[00:19:00] smells coming

[00:19:01] from her body

[00:19:01] and never had

[00:19:02] any symptoms

[00:19:03] at all.

[00:19:04] This includes

[00:19:05] the paramedics

[00:19:06] that brought

[00:19:07] her in

[00:19:07] by the

[00:19:07] ambulance.

[00:19:08] They spent

[00:19:09] 14 minutes

[00:19:10] with her

[00:19:10] in this

[00:19:11] unventilated

[00:19:12] ambulance,

[00:19:13] and allegedly

[00:19:13] they had even

[00:19:14] spilled a small

[00:19:15] amount of her

[00:19:16] blood while

[00:19:16] they were

[00:19:16] inserting her

[00:19:17] IV,

[00:19:18] yet none

[00:19:19] of these

[00:19:19] workers reported

[00:19:20] smelling anything

[00:19:21] or getting

[00:19:22] sick at all.

[00:19:23] Obviously,

[00:19:24] the medical

[00:19:25] professionals who

[00:19:26] became ill

[00:19:26] that night,

[00:19:27] they completely

[00:19:28] disagreed with

[00:19:28] this theory

[00:19:29] of mass

[00:19:30] hysteria.

[00:19:31] Their

[00:19:32] illnesses

[00:19:32] were very

[00:19:33] real.

[00:19:33] Gloria's

[00:19:35] family was

[00:19:35] equally

[00:19:36] confused about

[00:19:37] what had

[00:19:37] happened that

[00:19:37] night,

[00:19:38] and they

[00:19:39] thought there

[00:19:39] could be

[00:19:40] more to

[00:19:40] the story,

[00:19:41] that the

[00:19:42] illnesses that

[00:19:43] were experienced

[00:19:43] by the medical

[00:19:44] staff could

[00:19:45] point to

[00:19:46] something else

[00:19:46] happening at

[00:19:47] the hospital

[00:19:48] that night.

[00:19:48] Gloria's

[00:19:49] family hired

[00:19:50] their own

[00:19:50] independent

[00:19:51] pathologist

[00:19:52] to review

[00:19:52] the autopsy

[00:19:53] reports.

[00:19:54] Their

[00:19:55] preliminary

[00:19:55] conclusion

[00:19:56] revealed that

[00:19:57] Gloria did

[00:19:58] not die of

[00:19:59] cancer.

[00:20:00] They couldn't

[00:20:01] state definitively

[00:20:02] what caused

[00:20:03] her death,

[00:20:04] but it

[00:20:04] was not

[00:20:05] her cervical

[00:20:05] cancer that

[00:20:06] killed her,

[00:20:07] according to

[00:20:08] this pathologist.

[00:20:09] Her family

[00:20:10] thought that

[00:20:10] medical

[00:20:11] authorities were

[00:20:12] messing up

[00:20:12] the investigation

[00:20:13] and even

[00:20:15] hiding things.

[00:20:16] Gloria's

[00:20:17] sister,

[00:20:17] Maggie Ramirez

[00:20:18] Garcia,

[00:20:19] would say,

[00:20:19] quote,

[00:20:20] it takes

[00:20:20] them 10

[00:20:21] weeks to

[00:20:22] say she

[00:20:22] died of

[00:20:23] natural

[00:20:23] causes?

[00:20:24] I don't

[00:20:25] believe anything

[00:20:26] the county

[00:20:26] officials or

[00:20:27] the coroner

[00:20:28] says.

[00:20:29] They felt

[00:20:30] like the

[00:20:30] hospital,

[00:20:31] which had

[00:20:32] a history

[00:20:32] of operating

[00:20:33] in unsafe

[00:20:34] conditions,

[00:20:35] was hiding

[00:20:35] things,

[00:20:36] that they

[00:20:37] were negligent,

[00:20:38] causing

[00:20:38] Gloria's

[00:20:39] death.

[00:20:39] And they

[00:20:40] had every

[00:20:41] right to

[00:20:41] be suspicious,

[00:20:42] for example,

[00:20:43] the issue

[00:20:44] with the

[00:20:44] sewer gas

[00:20:45] leak just

[00:20:45] a year

[00:20:45] prior.

[00:20:46] In

[00:20:47] 1991,

[00:20:48] two hospital

[00:20:49] employees

[00:20:49] became sick

[00:20:50] and they

[00:20:51] required medical

[00:20:51] treatment after

[00:20:53] there was a

[00:20:53] potential

[00:20:54] hazardous

[00:20:54] gas leak

[00:20:55] from a

[00:20:55] sterilizer.

[00:20:57] And then

[00:20:57] in 1992,

[00:20:58] after an

[00:20:59] inspection,

[00:21:00] it was

[00:21:00] reported that

[00:21:01] algae was

[00:21:02] found growing

[00:21:02] in a water

[00:21:03] reservoir.

[00:21:04] So accusing

[00:21:05] the hospital

[00:21:06] of being

[00:21:07] negligent or

[00:21:08] having these

[00:21:08] issues,

[00:21:09] it was not

[00:21:10] that far-fetched.

[00:21:11] The investigation

[00:21:12] was also

[00:21:13] plagued with

[00:21:13] issues.

[00:21:14] Just a

[00:21:15] month into

[00:21:16] the inquest,

[00:21:17] one of the

[00:21:17] top investigators

[00:21:18] in charge of

[00:21:19] Gloria's case

[00:21:20] killed himself.

[00:21:21] It was said

[00:21:22] that he may

[00:21:23] have been under

[00:21:24] intense pressure

[00:21:25] to get this

[00:21:26] case solved.

[00:21:27] There was also

[00:21:28] a key piece

[00:21:29] of evidence

[00:21:30] missing.

[00:21:31] Something which

[00:21:32] truly could

[00:21:33] have solved

[00:21:33] this entire

[00:21:34] thing but

[00:21:35] now couldn't

[00:21:35] be tested

[00:21:36] because it

[00:21:36] was just

[00:21:37] gone.

[00:21:37] The syringe

[00:21:38] that was used

[00:21:39] to draw

[00:21:40] Gloria's

[00:21:40] blood that

[00:21:41] night.

[00:21:41] The one

[00:21:42] that had

[00:21:42] the intense

[00:21:43] chemical smell

[00:21:44] and the

[00:21:44] floating particles

[00:21:45] in it.

[00:21:46] The investigation

[00:21:47] into how

[00:21:48] Gloria Ramirez

[00:21:49] died and

[00:21:50] how so many

[00:21:51] became sick

[00:21:51] that night,

[00:21:52] it seemed

[00:21:53] doomed from

[00:21:53] the beginning.

[00:21:55] Despite

[00:21:55] much disagreement,

[00:21:57] mass hysteria

[00:21:58] was widely

[00:21:59] reported by

[00:22:00] officials to

[00:22:00] be the

[00:22:01] official cause

[00:22:02] of the

[00:22:02] events.

[00:22:03] And yet,

[00:22:04] that answer,

[00:22:05] it didn't

[00:22:06] sit right with

[00:22:06] anyone,

[00:22:07] including other

[00:22:08] investigators,

[00:22:09] who quietly

[00:22:10] continued their

[00:22:11] research in the

[00:22:12] background.

[00:22:13] While there

[00:22:14] wasn't anything

[00:22:15] specific found

[00:22:16] during Gloria's

[00:22:17] autopsy that

[00:22:18] would point to

[00:22:18] a reason that

[00:22:19] she died and

[00:22:20] why the

[00:22:21] medical staff

[00:22:21] became ill,

[00:22:22] there was

[00:22:23] something found

[00:22:24] that investigators

[00:22:25] weren't too

[00:22:25] sure about.

[00:22:26] There were

[00:22:27] trace amounts

[00:22:28] of dimethyl

[00:22:29] sulfoxide,

[00:22:30] DMSO.

[00:22:31] It was found

[00:22:31] in Gloria's

[00:22:32] system,

[00:22:32] only small

[00:22:33] amounts.

[00:22:34] While DMSO

[00:22:36] was generally

[00:22:36] harmless,

[00:22:37] it's not

[00:22:38] something that

[00:22:38] you would

[00:22:39] typically see

[00:22:40] in someone's

[00:22:40] body unless

[00:22:41] they were

[00:22:42] taking it.

[00:22:43] We know

[00:22:44] that Gloria

[00:22:44] was battling

[00:22:45] cervical cancer.

[00:22:46] Well,

[00:22:47] DMSO was

[00:22:48] once touted

[00:22:49] as a home

[00:22:50] remedy to

[00:22:50] treat cancer,

[00:22:51] either by

[00:22:52] ingesting it

[00:22:53] or applying it

[00:22:54] topically.

[00:22:55] In the

[00:22:55] 60s,

[00:22:56] DMSO

[00:22:57] had a

[00:22:57] cult-like

[00:22:58] following

[00:22:59] because it

[00:23:00] was believed

[00:23:00] the substance

[00:23:01] could ease

[00:23:02] pain and

[00:23:03] reduce anxiety.

[00:23:04] It's definitely

[00:23:05] not something

[00:23:06] that is recommended

[00:23:06] today for

[00:23:07] human use

[00:23:08] because it

[00:23:09] can actually

[00:23:09] make people

[00:23:10] go blind.

[00:23:11] Still,

[00:23:12] if Gloria

[00:23:13] couldn't

[00:23:13] afford her

[00:23:14] expensive

[00:23:14] chemotherapy

[00:23:15] treatments,

[00:23:16] this is

[00:23:17] something that

[00:23:17] she may

[00:23:18] have been

[00:23:18] open to

[00:23:19] trying.

[00:23:20] Using DMSO

[00:23:22] wouldn't have

[00:23:23] killed Gloria,

[00:23:23] and on

[00:23:24] its own,

[00:23:25] it would

[00:23:25] have been

[00:23:26] practically

[00:23:26] harmless.

[00:23:28] But medical

[00:23:29] authorities

[00:23:29] believed the

[00:23:30] problem occurred

[00:23:30] when the

[00:23:31] hospital staff

[00:23:32] put the

[00:23:33] oxygen mask

[00:23:33] on her.

[00:23:34] Now,

[00:23:35] I'm not a

[00:23:36] scientist,

[00:23:36] and you're

[00:23:37] probably not a

[00:23:38] scientist if

[00:23:39] you're listening

[00:23:39] to me,

[00:23:39] but I'm

[00:23:40] going to try

[00:23:41] to explain

[00:23:41] this as best

[00:23:42] as I can

[00:23:43] with the

[00:23:44] very basic

[00:23:44] understanding

[00:23:45] that I

[00:23:45] have.

[00:23:47] DMSO

[00:23:47] is made

[00:23:48] up of

[00:23:48] carbon,

[00:23:49] hydrogen,

[00:23:50] sulfur,

[00:23:51] and one

[00:23:52] atom of

[00:23:52] oxygen.

[00:23:53] When more

[00:23:54] oxygen was

[00:23:55] given to

[00:23:55] Gloria,

[00:23:56] it changed

[00:23:56] the chemical

[00:23:57] makeup of

[00:23:57] the DMSO

[00:23:58] by adding

[00:23:59] another atom

[00:24:00] of oxygen,

[00:24:01] which can

[00:24:01] produce crystals

[00:24:02] like what

[00:24:03] was observed

[00:24:04] in her

[00:24:04] blood.

[00:24:05] Then,

[00:24:06] when the

[00:24:06] defibrillator

[00:24:07] was used,

[00:24:08] it's believed

[00:24:09] that the

[00:24:09] chemical may

[00:24:10] have been

[00:24:10] converted into

[00:24:11] dimethyl sulfate,

[00:24:12] which is a

[00:24:13] highly toxic

[00:24:14] gas.

[00:24:14] Dimethyl sulfate

[00:24:16] can cause

[00:24:17] convulsions,

[00:24:18] paralysis,

[00:24:19] kidney,

[00:24:20] and liver

[00:24:20] damage.

[00:24:21] It can also

[00:24:21] be fatal

[00:24:22] if larger

[00:24:23] amounts are

[00:24:24] absorbed into

[00:24:24] the body.

[00:24:25] This could

[00:24:26] have been

[00:24:26] what caused

[00:24:27] some of

[00:24:27] the hospital

[00:24:28] staff to

[00:24:29] become sick.

[00:24:30] This

[00:24:30] explanation

[00:24:31] was added

[00:24:32] as an

[00:24:32] addendum

[00:24:33] to the

[00:24:33] coroner's

[00:24:34] report as

[00:24:34] a possible

[00:24:35] contributor

[00:24:36] to Gloria's

[00:24:37] death.

[00:24:37] But there

[00:24:38] was a

[00:24:39] problem.

[00:24:40] This

[00:24:40] theory was

[00:24:41] widely

[00:24:42] disagreed

[00:24:43] upon by

[00:24:43] other

[00:24:44] scientists

[00:24:44] and

[00:24:45] toxicologists

[00:24:46] who

[00:24:46] didn't

[00:24:47] believe

[00:24:47] that

[00:24:47] this

[00:24:48] kind

[00:24:48] of

[00:24:48] chemical

[00:24:48] reaction

[00:24:49] was

[00:24:49] possible

[00:24:50] simply

[00:24:51] by

[00:24:51] giving

[00:24:51] Gloria

[00:24:52] an

[00:24:52] oxygen

[00:24:52] mask

[00:24:53] and

[00:24:53] then

[00:24:53] by

[00:24:54] using

[00:24:54] the

[00:24:54] defibrillator

[00:24:55] on her.

[00:24:56] Also,

[00:24:57] her family,

[00:24:57] they refuted

[00:24:58] claims that

[00:24:59] she was

[00:24:59] using

[00:25:00] DMSO

[00:25:00] to treat

[00:25:01] her

[00:25:01] cancer.

[00:25:02] And then

[00:25:03] another

[00:25:03] somewhat

[00:25:04] salacious

[00:25:05] potential

[00:25:05] theory

[00:25:06] came to

[00:25:06] light.

[00:25:07] According

[00:25:08] to articles

[00:25:08] posted in

[00:25:09] the New

[00:25:09] Times

[00:25:14] in the

[00:25:14] hospital

[00:25:15] where

[00:25:15] Gloria

[00:25:16] Ramirez

[00:25:17] died.

[00:25:18] Reporter

[00:25:18] Susan

[00:25:19] Goldsmith

[00:25:19] alleged

[00:25:20] that

[00:25:20] the

[00:25:20] chemical

[00:25:20] used

[00:25:21] to

[00:25:21] make

[00:25:21] the

[00:25:21] meth,

[00:25:22] methylmine,

[00:25:23] may have

[00:25:24] been smuggled

[00:25:25] out of the

[00:25:25] hospital

[00:25:25] in IV

[00:25:26] bags.

[00:25:27] The article

[00:25:28] alleges that

[00:25:29] Riverside

[00:25:30] hospital workers

[00:25:31] were smuggling

[00:25:32] this chemical

[00:25:33] out of the

[00:25:33] hospital

[00:25:34] to sell

[00:25:35] to meth

[00:25:35] cookers.

[00:25:36] Methylmine

[00:25:37] is commonly

[00:25:37] found in

[00:25:38] hospitals.

[00:25:39] It's often

[00:25:40] used to

[00:25:40] clean surgical

[00:25:41] tools,

[00:25:41] so it's

[00:25:42] not that

[00:25:43] big of a

[00:25:43] stretch.

[00:25:44] The article

[00:25:45] continues to

[00:25:46] allege that

[00:25:46] one of

[00:25:47] these IV

[00:25:47] bags

[00:25:48] containing

[00:25:48] the

[00:25:49] methylmine

[00:25:49] may have

[00:25:50] been

[00:25:51] accidentally

[00:25:51] hooked up

[00:25:52] to

[00:25:52] Gloria

[00:25:53] Ramirez.

[00:25:54] Something

[00:25:54] about this

[00:25:55] thought

[00:25:55] terrifies

[00:25:56] me.

[00:25:56] I'm

[00:25:57] already

[00:25:57] so

[00:25:58] uncomfortable

[00:25:58] in

[00:25:59] hospitals.

[00:26:00] I

[00:26:00] hate

[00:26:01] getting

[00:26:01] IVs

[00:26:02] and

[00:26:02] I've

[00:26:02] had

[00:26:03] many

[00:26:03] of them

[00:26:03] because

[00:26:04] I've

[00:26:04] had

[00:26:04] two

[00:26:05] brutal

[00:26:05] pregnancies

[00:26:06] that

[00:26:06] required

[00:26:07] me

[00:26:07] to

[00:26:07] get

[00:26:07] them

[00:26:07] constantly

[00:26:08] in

[00:26:09] order

[00:26:09] to

[00:26:09] stay

[00:26:09] hydrated.

[00:26:10] Imagine

[00:26:11] going

[00:26:11] to

[00:26:11] the

[00:26:12] emergency

[00:26:12] room

[00:26:12] in

[00:26:13] excruciating

[00:26:14] pain,

[00:26:14] you're

[00:26:14] dehydrated,

[00:26:15] you've

[00:26:15] been

[00:26:15] vomiting

[00:26:16] all day

[00:26:16] and you

[00:26:17] just

[00:26:17] want

[00:26:17] help.

[00:26:18] Then

[00:26:18] having

[00:26:19] this

[00:26:19] chemical

[00:26:20] pumped

[00:26:20] into

[00:26:20] your

[00:26:21] veins?

[00:26:21] It's

[00:26:22] corrosive

[00:26:23] to the

[00:26:23] eyes

[00:26:23] and

[00:26:24] skin

[00:26:24] and

[00:26:24] it

[00:26:25] can

[00:26:25] severely

[00:26:25] irritate

[00:26:26] the

[00:26:26] respiratory

[00:26:26] tract,

[00:26:27] which

[00:26:27] could

[00:26:28] explain

[00:26:28] the

[00:26:29] emergency

[00:26:29] room

[00:26:29] workers

[00:26:30] becoming

[00:26:30] sick

[00:26:31] and

[00:26:31] feeling

[00:26:31] like

[00:26:32] their

[00:26:32] skin

[00:26:32] was

[00:26:32] burning.

[00:26:33] Of course,

[00:26:34] this theory

[00:26:35] has never

[00:26:36] been proven.

[00:26:37] The IV

[00:26:37] bags,

[00:26:38] they were

[00:26:38] never

[00:26:39] tested,

[00:26:39] and it's

[00:26:40] unclear

[00:26:40] exactly

[00:26:41] where

[00:26:41] this

[00:26:41] idea

[00:26:42] of a

[00:26:42] secret

[00:26:43] meth

[00:26:43] operation

[00:26:44] in

[00:26:44] Riverside

[00:26:44] Hospital

[00:26:45] came

[00:26:45] from.

[00:26:46] But

[00:26:46] apparently,

[00:26:47] at the

[00:26:47] time,

[00:26:48] the area

[00:26:49] surrounding

[00:26:49] the

[00:26:49] hospital

[00:26:50] was a

[00:26:50] hotbed

[00:26:51] for

[00:26:51] meth

[00:26:51] labs.

[00:26:52] Gloria's

[00:26:53] family sued

[00:26:54] Riverside

[00:26:54] County,

[00:26:55] alleging

[00:26:55] that it

[00:26:56] was

[00:26:56] actually

[00:26:56] the

[00:26:56] shortcomings

[00:26:57] of the

[00:26:57] hospital

[00:26:58] that

[00:26:58] caused

[00:26:59] her

[00:26:59] to

[00:26:59] die

[00:26:59] that

[00:26:59] night.

[00:27:00] While

[00:27:01] Riverside

[00:27:01] refused

[00:27:02] to admit

[00:27:02] to

[00:27:03] any

[00:27:03] wrongdoing,

[00:27:04] they agreed

[00:27:05] to settle

[00:27:05] for $350,000

[00:27:07] in order

[00:27:08] to avoid

[00:27:08] any more

[00:27:09] talk about

[00:27:09] potential

[00:27:10] safety hazards

[00:27:11] at the

[00:27:11] hospital,

[00:27:12] something

[00:27:12] that obviously

[00:27:13] they would

[00:27:13] rather not

[00:27:14] talk about

[00:27:14] and would

[00:27:15] prefer to

[00:27:16] sweep

[00:27:16] under the

[00:27:16] rug.

[00:27:17] So,

[00:27:18] what is

[00:27:19] the real

[00:27:19] story of

[00:27:20] Gloria Ramirez,

[00:27:21] dubbed

[00:27:21] the

[00:27:22] toxic

[00:27:22] woman?

[00:27:23] Was

[00:27:23] her

[00:27:23] body

[00:27:24] mysteriously

[00:27:25] emitting

[00:27:25] hazardous

[00:27:26] fumes that

[00:27:27] made her

[00:27:27] and everyone

[00:27:28] around her

[00:27:29] sick?

[00:27:29] Or was

[00:27:30] there

[00:27:31] something

[00:27:31] else,

[00:27:32] something

[00:27:32] more

[00:27:32] sinister

[00:27:33] happening

[00:27:33] at the

[00:27:34] hospital

[00:27:34] that night

[00:27:35] that she

[00:27:35] arrived in

[00:27:36] the

[00:27:36] emergency

[00:27:36] room?

[00:27:37] Your

[00:27:38] guess

[00:27:38] is as

[00:27:39] good as

[00:27:39] mine,

[00:27:40] but to

[00:27:40] this day,

[00:27:41] her sister

[00:27:42] believes

[00:27:42] that if

[00:27:43] Gloria

[00:27:44] had not

[00:27:44] gone into

[00:27:45] the

[00:27:45] emergency

[00:27:46] room

[00:27:46] that

[00:27:46] night,

[00:27:47] she

[00:27:47] may

[00:27:48] have

[00:27:48] lived.

[00:27:49] That's

[00:27:50] it for

[00:27:51] If you

[00:27:51] want to

[00:27:52] reach out,

[00:27:52] you can

[00:27:53] find me

[00:27:53] on Facebook

[00:27:53] at

[00:27:54] Serial

[00:27:54] Napper.

[00:27:55] You can

[00:27:55] find my

[00:27:56] audio on

[00:27:56] Apple or

[00:27:57] Spotify or

[00:27:58] wherever you

[00:27:59] listen to

[00:27:59] podcasts.

[00:28:00] I post all

[00:28:01] of my episodes

[00:28:02] in video

[00:28:03] format over

[00:28:04] on YouTube,

[00:28:04] so go

[00:28:05] check it

[00:28:05] out.

[00:28:05] And if

[00:28:06] you're

[00:28:06] watching on

[00:28:07] YouTube,

[00:28:07] I'd love

[00:28:08] if you

[00:28:08] can give

[00:28:08] me a

[00:28:09] thumbs

[00:28:09] up and

[00:28:10] subscribe.

[00:28:10] I'm

[00:28:11] over on

[00:28:12] X,

[00:28:12] formerly

[00:28:12] known as

[00:28:13] Twitter,

[00:28:14] at

[00:28:14] Serial

[00:28:14] Napper

[00:28:15] and I

[00:28:16] post things

[00:28:16] on

[00:28:16] TikTok

[00:28:17] Serial

[00:28:17] Napper

[00:28:18] Nick.

[00:28:18] Until

[00:28:19] next time,

[00:28:21] sweet dreams,

[00:28:22] stay kind,

[00:28:23] especially in

[00:28:24] the comments.

[00:28:26] Bye.

[00:28:27] Bye.