The Zombie Curse
by Arthur M. Fournier, M.D.
Summary
This memoir of a dedicated doctor battling the AIDS epidemic in Haiti does more than chronicle the story of a horrible disease. We follow Dr. Fournier to Haiti where he searches for ways to treat patients with AIDs, not simply the physical symptoms, but also the stereotyping and blame heaped on both the victims and even the doctors who tend to them. This book is a moving tribute to the abundant courage, resilience, and dignity of a people beset by tragedy.
Excerpt
In the late 1970s and early 19802 two diseases crept into my professional and personal lives that would change both forever. The first was the newly emerging AIDS virus, a germ that has proven smarter than most of the doctors trying to fight it. The second was one that proved even more difficult to conquer.
Beginning in 1979, as a faculty physician at the University of Miami School of Medicine, working at its affiliated Jackson Memorial Hospital, I saw firsthand the chaos, confusion, and blame associated with the spread of AIDS. Part I of this story examines the early days of the epidemic in Miami. In particular, the story concerns itself with patients admitted to Jackson Memorial, which serves 400,000 of Miami-Dade Country’s poorest residents.
Nationally, the first groups to be blamed for AIDS were gay men and intravenous drug users. Many old prejudices and stereotypes combined to make these groups easy scapegoats. In Miami, however, a new group of victims emerged. These were poor Haitian immigrants—proud people who had fled the crushing poverty and tyranny of their island nation for a better life in America. At Jackson the number of Haitian victims dwarfed those of other groups. A new scapegoat had arrived.
Nothing in my background, education, or training could have prepared me for the misery and mysteries of the early days….Even the vibrant milieu of Miami, perhaps America’s most culturally diverse city, was not, in itself, sufficient to understand or deal effectively with the epidemic that was about to overwhelm our community. Looking back, I believe that we of the faculty fulfilled our obligations to our patients in the traditional manner of medical education…We were, however, often naïve as to who our patients really were as people, not just as repositories of disease….In fact, the socioeconomic divisions between doctors and their patients may have been a major factor in allowing the virus that causes AIDS to outsmart us at every turn…..
In the secret world of HIV—among the homeless, the poor minorities of America’s cities and the poor in developing countries—the spread of the disease is inextricably linked to poverty. Interestingly, few scientific studies have addressed the effects of socioeconomic factors on traditional risk groups such as gay men, minorities, or people from developing countries. Moreover, until recently, few in the United States had looked at disparities in health as a function of socioeconomic class as opposed to race. If we want to win the war against AIDS, medical progress much march hand in hand with socioeconomic progress for the poor and social justice for all “minorities.”
Is there an antidote to this doom and gloom? The answer is yes, and it is to be found in the most improbably of places. The story, therefore, is no longer just about AIDS and suffering. It is also about remarkable people who, if we’re willing to listen, can show us a way out.
Reviews
"A cry from the front lines about the overwhelming role poverty plays in the spread of AIDS."-- Publishers Weekly
"A confounding, scary, and humbling book."-- The San Diego Union-Tribune
"The book is horrifying but, in the end, offers hope."-- Express
Author's Biography
Arthur Fournier is a physician at the Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. He was among the first doctors to treat patients afflicted with AIDs. He will donate all author proceeds to Project Medishare, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health of the Haitian people.