Forgotten History: The Sad and Mysterious Tale of America’s First AIDS Victim.
By Mike Moran of the Confessional Podcast.
His name was Robert Rayford. Some remember him as going by Robbie, others by Bobby. He was painfully shy, and mentally slow, maybe even intellectually disabled.
He was either 14 or 15 years old when he finally checked into St. Louis City Hospital after at least 2 years of suffering from intense pelvic, and testicular swelling. He had difficulty breathing, and was covered in warts and sores. He appeared emaciated and sickly.
It wasn’t long before the medical staff suspected the quite, polite, African American boy had been suffering some kind of sexual abuse. He tested positive for a severe case of chlamydia, and refused a rectal exam. He gave conflicting answers when they could coax a few lines out of him in regards to his sexual history. At one point he said he was “the stud of all time.” Another time he said he had slept with only one young woman. And another, he told doctors he had never had any sexual experience.
By the time Robert died in May 1969, his story was already a phenomenon among the local medical community. For the life of them, no one could figure out what was happening to the young man.
His cells were saved in cold storage, and his mysterious story was written about in the medical journal, Lymphology in 1973.
Two decades later, as the AIDS epidemic was reeking havoc the world over, someone thought to take tissue samples saved from Rayford’s body. They were shocked to find the cells tested positive for the disease.
As we all know, AIDS slowly presented itself to a horrified public in the early 1980s. For several years it was a terrifyingly mysterious illness that seemed to be killing men in gay communities throughout America. Rumors began circulating about its origins. Many believed it was a homicidal, homophobic, racist conspiracy.
Some have speculated that Robert was a “Patient Zero” in the AIDS epidemic, perhaps having contracted it by way of the many international flights coming through St. Louis Airport at the time. But in reality, the whole Patient Zero hypothesis is likely a myth, and AIDS probably came to the U.S. many separate times over the decades.
In fact the term “Patient Zero,” originates from the confusion surrounding early AIDS research. It was merely a misreading of Patient “O” short for Out of California. Further mythicism ensued when a sensationalist writer named Randy Shilts exaggerated this “Patient Zero” (whom he pinned on gay flight attendant named Gaëtan Dugas) into a sociopathic serial killer who willingly infected the nation with his “gay cancer.”
The real Gaëtan Dugas was one of many early AIDS victims who unknowingly spread the disease throughout the country. He in fact, stood out later as his cooperation with the medical community helped track, and understand the new epidemic.
Today it’s believed AIDS likely spread to the States in clusters over the years from Haiti, perhaps most prominently during the bicentennial celebrations of 1976, when sailors from all over the world traveled to New York City to celebrate.
Early misunderstandings about AIDS, has resulted in myths that have prevailed to this day. One of the most notorious of course, is the idea that it began with someone in Africa having sex with a monkey. Despite popular belief, this theory has largely been dispelled.
Experts beleive AIDS likely began during a period of oppressive colonialism in Africa, when many bushman were forced deeper into the jungle and resorted to hunting less desirable meat, like that of chimpanzees. At some point, a long-forgotten Congolese person must have either been bitten, or accidentally mixed his blood with an infected chimp, by cutting himself while butchering.
Over the years the disease spread to Belgium settlements where prostitution, and unsanitary medical practices were common. It slowly traveled throughout Africa, and eventually to Europe when colonists traveled home.
Why the disease didn’t manifest until the 20th century, when people have been eating bushmeat for millennia, is a mystery.
As is how exactly it travelled to a slow, polite young man in 1960’s St. Louis.
No one knows for sure, but there is ample anecdotal evidence that abuse ran rampant in the Rayford family. Robert mentioned to his doctors at one point, that his grandfather had shown similar symptoms as his, and died a few years earlier. His grandmother soon followed. Both were only in their 50s. Neither’s bodies were examined extensively. Remaining members of the Rayford family have said very little publicly about the mysterious case.
Robert’s autopsy confirmed that he had extensive anal scarring. He was only 15 or 16 when he died and it usually takes at least 5 years for the disease to reach full blown status, and he said he had the symptoms for at least 2 years. This lead many to believe Robbie was likely being abused from a very young age, perhaps even forced into child prostitution.
Robert had never had a blood transfusion or traveled abroad. However, it’s is true that St. Louis saw travelers from all over the Earth, as it’s airport was considered an air travel hub at the time.
Some have theorized that intervaneious drug use may have played more of a factor than sexual contact. Heroin use was pretty widespread among the impoverished neighborhoods of St Louis, though not in the way we think of the addiction epidemic now.
Most of the heroin that would have passed through Robert’s neighborhood at the time, would have been cheap, and not very potent. It’s possible that it was more of a party drug than the dependence-inducing narcotic we know today. It was used causally by both adults, and adolescents around the area. And it’s doubtful that needles were being properly sterilized.
Even if Robert did get the disease from a contaminated needle, his behavior was still consistent with someone who was enduring sexual abuse.
By all accounts, Robert fought hard against his declining health, and remained positive until his dying day on May 15, 1969. The doctors and medical staff were charmed by the simple kid, and mourned heavily their inability to save his life.
No known photos of Robert Rayford exist.
By Mike Moran of the Confessional Podcast:
Also by Mike:
