Voting Station

Gloria Ramirez

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Oddity

The Resume

    (January 11, 1963-February 19, 1994)
    Resident of Riverside, California
    Suffered cervical cancer, kidney failure and a urinary tract blockage
    When she was treated at the emergency room of Riverside General Hospital, nearly two dozen staffers became ill and six had to be hospitalized
    Dubbed the 'toxic lady' in press reports

Why she might be annoying:

    Emergency room patients had to be evacuated to the hospital parking lot.
    The state Department of Health and Human Services suggested the outbreak was a case of mass hysteria, noting that women had suffered more severe symptoms than men.
    One of the victims, Dr. Julie Gorchynski, was hospitalized in intensive care for two weeks with respiratory problems, and developed hepatitis and necrosis in her knees. (That's some hysteria.)
    Scientists at Livermore Labs suggested that Ramirez had used the solvent DMSO as a home pain remedy and that a reaction converted DMSO into dimethyl sulfate, a poisonous gas that is volatile enough to evaporate by the time the investigations had begun.
    The Livermore scientists admitted to not knowing any reaction that would convert DMSO to dimethyl sulfate.
    She had to buried in an airtight casket.

Why she might not be annoying:

    Blood samples taken from affected emergency room staffers were normal, a hazmat team failed to detect any dangerous chemicals in the ER and the coroner's office failed to find any toxins in Ramirez's remains.
    Her family challenged the DMSO conclusion and tried to have an independent autopsy performed.
    The new autopsy was unable to come to a conclusion because the internal organs had been cross-contaminated during the original investigation.
    Her family held a yard sale to pay for her funeral.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 9 Votes: 22.22% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 19 Votes: 73.68% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 7 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 17 Votes: 64.71% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 9 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 12 Votes: 58.33% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 16 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 14 Votes: 64.29% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 63 Votes: 65.08% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 34 Votes: 41.18% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 23 Votes: 47.83% Annoying