Roe

On this day twenty years ago, a friend of mine died at Our Lady of Mercy. She was so young, the wife of a dear friend and mother of five children. Her youngest was only 18 months old at the time.

She had been sick for a while, but kept putting off going to the doctor. She had kids to take care of and things to do...not that it would have mattered. In the early 1990's nothing helped stop the virus...

I was one of the few who knew how very sick she was. I was in my last semester of nursing school and had seen the x-rays. I knew she was dying of AIDS, but her husband begged me to say nothing. What a terrible secret to keep. I mourned her and cried alone for this strong woman who had struggled her whole life.

Her ex-husband had already died of the virus. He infected Roe before she found out he was shooting heroin. She left when she found out, and was living happily ever after with my friend, and she had just had his child, a beautiful girl... She was so happy.

The cough got bad in January of 1991. By March she was admitted. She never went home. Her poor husband never recovered from the loss of this tough amazing woman. Their daughter has no memory of her.

I miss her today.