Nice of you to not sensationalise this by calling it 'The story of the toxic lady' Gives this poor lady some dignity back. RIP Gloria.

I've seen a few channels cover this, and you are the least sensationalist one. Thank you for being so respectful to Gloria Ramirez, and not referring to her as "The Toxic Lady". She was a person, not a sideshow attraction.

I'm amazed they dismissed hepatitis and bone necrosis as caused by 'mass hysteria'.

I always disliked that the media called her the toxic lady, it's just an awful nickname. 😢

Unfortunately her case was literally just "A Series of Unfortunate Events" the amount of coincidence it took for the series of chemical reactions that occured was really sad

I work with DMSO as a geneticist right now. A further insight into DMSO's toxicity is that it is extremely effective at entering cells. In my line of work, we use DMSO in a solution known as DESS. DESS is comprised of DMSO, and various salt mixtures to the point where the solution is saturated with salts. The DMSO serves as a way to carry these salts into the cells of tissue samples to stabilize and preserve DNA to an extremely high grade. In a person, applying DMSO straight to the skin would allow it to sequester into your cells with extreme ease, If Gloria Ramirez was using it as a "painkiller" then I imagine she was applying it quite liberally, allowing for unholy amounts of DMSO to accumulate in her body. Using DMSO as a "painkiller" in this manner would be useless, as all it would do would just load your cells with a lot of DMSO. It goes without saying but please do not use straight DMSO as a remedy of any kind. As it is, concentrated or diluted, it will do nothing for any pain, and will just be extremely toxic to your cells. And yes speaking from experience, this stuff reeks of rotten garlic.

Please keep in mind through all this that in 1994 there weren't the online resources we have today, and a young woman going through metastatic cancer would have obviously been in a lot of pain and looking for any kind of relief.

I lived in Riverside when this happened, and remember it vividly. What struck me the most was that she was a very sick woman, and she was so desperate to live, to see her kids grow up and to beat her disease that she would try anything. Her case just breaks my heart.

Her family insisting "there is no way she was using DMSO" means less than nothing, nobody's family wants to admit a loved one could fall victim to these kind of home remedies

I appreciate how this latest installment provided a coherent, non-technical explanation of what happened (or at least the most likely scenario) while also humanizing Gloria, portraying her as a beloved wife, mother, and friend instead of just "The Toxic Lady". I'm inclined to think the family denied Gloria's use of DMSO to avoid getting sued by hospital employees blaming her for causing a mass casualty event. The legal justification would be shaky--possible exposure to poisons and contaminants is part of the job, and there's no way Gloria would have wanted or intended this outcome. But there's always someone who might sue to get payment for their own medical bills, or because an unscrupulous lawyer told them they could get a quick payday out of it.

My mother died of late stage cervical cancer and subsequent kidney failure last year. Hearing Gloria's story, it reminded me of my own mother's struggle with the terrible pain and disease caused by the cancer. Nothing helped her pain. In the emergency room, they would give her every drug to try and help it, but even fentanyl wouldn't touch it. I can see how Gloria may have turned to something she viewed as an alternative to all of those drugs, that didn't help, to try and ease her pain. It probably didn't take long for her already damaged kidneys to be overwhelmed by DMSO, even applied topically. That poor woman. May she rest in peace.

I'm so glad we not only know what happened, but the staff got a sense of closure knowing that it wasn't hysteria. I can't imagine experiencing all those symptoms only to be told it was hysteria. I'm also glad Gloria isn't the toxic lady anymore, she deserves more respect than that.

FH, I will always admire the respect with which you treat the subjects of these stories. It’s why you’re my favorite channel when it comes to this stuff. No sensationalist narrative, just facts with a touch of empathy and great respect for those lost or impacted.

This is why I adore this channel. You go into details about these events but humanize people at the same time. You gave her and her family dignity. Thank you for that.

I went to school with her kids (one was in my sister's class) and Gloria is buried near my Grandma. This case has always hit close to home (for obvious reasons). I feel so bad for her family. I've always thought it was a chemical reaction, not mass hysteria. Every time I drive by the spot where the hospital used to be, I think about her. I was there a few days ago. Thank you for approaching the case with respect.

First time Ive heard this case being treated as a medical issue,not as some spooky mystery. Well done.

Its so easy to (sadly) sensationalize these incidents but people tend to forget that these are just people and for Gloria, she probably was out of options that can save her life 💔

I’ve seen some crazy psycho somatic symptoms as a professional psychologist but I’m pretty sure you cant induce bone necrosis using your mind

Yes, let’s please remember she was a real person with a real life with a family and friends that loved her. RIP Gloria. ❤️

Never underestimate chronic pain. It can completely change the way your mind works as you desperately seek relief. I wouldn't be surprised if she tried rubbing DMSO on her skin as a pain killer. I feel so sad for her if this is what happened. So many great drugs ended up having negative side effects though unfortunately. I hope she is now completely at peace. ❤

I've read about this, I figured it was probably a chemical reaction within the body producing toxic vapors; mass hysteria doesn't make sense, how could hysteria cause hepatitis and necrosis of bones? Thankyou for covering this. It's nice to find out about Gloria, so many seem to forget she was so much more than just the events of that evening.

You and Wendigoon have been the only horror KZfaqrs to treat Gloria Ramirez with any respect. No one ever says her name, they just refer to her as the “Toxic Lady”. They focus solely on the strangeness of her death and make it a creepy spectacle (not saying any names, just grateful for members of the horror community that restore a person’s humanity).

thank you for taking the time to acknowledge the memory of gloria as a person. most who have heard her story did not know her personally (including myself). i appreciate that we fans of true crime and highly strange occurrences can distance ourselves from the horror of someone’s death and remember that someone loved this person in life.

Thank you for your respect, giving Gloria her humanity back rather than the horrid name of the toxic lady. She was everything but toxic in her life. If she did use the DMSO, she had to have been in so much pain that she was willing to try anything. Unless she was a chemical expert, she wouldn't have known the consequences. People who try unconventional methods are usually very good at hiding it, unless it actually works. So, I'm willing to accept her family being unaware. Gloria sounds like the type of person who wouldn't have wanted to give her loved ones false hope.

I remember they spoke of Gloria on an episode of Law and Order. It was an episode where a quack doctor offered women a false cure for breast cancer. Gloria's story is so very sad. I feel bad for her and her family.

It’s very sad how so many things happened and a woman died while many others got sick. May she rest in peace and keep up the great work you do man. Take care!

I really appreciate your tact on this story given how the media labeled this woman. Has this channel done the McDonalds hot coffee lawsuit? It’s a pretty similar story when it comes to how the media misconstrued it.

This is always such a weird story. I wonder if we'll ever know what actually happened. The DMSO theory is the most plausible though.

Huh. I remember hearing of this strange story years ago but was unaware there been a "conclusion" beyond the BS hysteria one. Hysteria can do _a lot_ of things but rotting someone's knees is a bit beyond it.

I worked at that hospital during that time. No, I am not a doctor or nurse and I worked in another department, but it was a very bizarre event. Every time I see a channel do this story, I watch it. You did a great job. 👍

This case actually pisses me off. It’s an example of how broken our healthcare system is in the US. People aren’t screened early because they can’t afford it, and often only get diagnosed with cancer when it’s “too late”, then they are left to their own devices to acquire pain relief unless they’re lucky enough to have a doctor that doesn’t restrict their pain medication out of fear of the war on drugs. Cancer patients even having to seek out home remedies that end up being extremely harmful because they’re in that much pain is disgusting. And even worse, I’ve always wondered if her case was so unusual because she may have had layer upon layer of the substance on her skin, many elderly people with mobility issues end up with poor hygiene because they’re afraid of bathing and slipping with no one to assist them, and I would think for a late stage cancer patient that chance would be higher. It would not only be risky to shower/bathe but probably very painful just to move around. She may have not been showering and removing the layer of degreaser from her skin and just kept applying more and more until it absorbed enough to reach an extremely high concentration in her bloodstream. Which just makes me more pissed off, thinking about how many people have to go through that kind of life the last few years or months they’re alive. It’s insane we consider ourselves the greatest country in the world when we can’t even provide basic healthcare or compassionate relief to our most vulnerable in our population. We won’t even allow someone with late stage terminal illness to peacefully die at home with the assistance of a doctor, people classify it as murder instead of compassionate euthanasia. Yet we have no issue with letting someone die in pain when it’s someone that’s deemed a non contributor to society. This country is fucked.

People: "its all just hysteria" The nurse who literally had her health deteriorated: 👁👄👁

I've watched several videos on Gloria's case, but I think this is the first one to humanize her rather than dwelling only on the weirdness and potentially "ooo spooky" details of her death. I didn't even know she'd been a mother. Thank you for presenting her story with respect and reminding us that her death might be famous but she had a life and was a person first and foremost.

Thank you for acknowledging Gloria as a person and not just a mystery to be solved. While I find this case utterly fascinating (ha) too often coverage forgets the human.

One of the most baffling stories featured on FH. I hope all the medical staff who fell ill were able to recover fully

I've seen the Toxic Lady been covered countless times, but I think this is the first time I've watched anyone has actually said why she was toxic at the end.

I never knew about that last part. All other videos I've seen on this incident never talk about Gloria as a person. The detail about "Amazing Grace" has me trying not to cry in public. I know it's a very common song, but I sang it at my grandma's funeral because she asked me to a few years before she died. I know many others have emotional connections to that song too since it's so well-known. Thank you for including that detail. It humanizes her and it's a reason I love this channel.

Wow, it's been years and this story still freaks me out!

As always, your videos are so refreshingly respectful. I was a kid when this happened, and the coverage of it left a strong impression on me. One news report I saw at the time talked about Gloria Ramirez more like a cryptid than a human being dying of cancer. That was always the scariest part of the case to me - the way she seemed to stop being a person (at least to the public) so quickly. I suppose that's pretty common, but this news story was the first time I became aware of it.

Thanks for doing this one! I remember hearing about it when it happened, but I hadn't heard any of the later explanations. And yeah, what kind of utter moron looked at BONE NECROSIS and said to himself "Yep. Power of the mind!"

I remember this case. At first it was very scary because nobody knew why the medical staff were affected in this way. It was like her body emitted some sort of nerve gas. What a tragedy. I know it’s been a while now but my heart goes out to her family. There has never been another case like this since.

So sad for her family and the staff! RIP Gloria

I remember her. She was such a nice lady.

Poor Gloria. It's sad that her death was so sensationalized, when she must have been in such horrific pain to resort to that sort of remedy. I find an echo of familiarity in her family saying that she would have 'never used DMSO' the same as many families, after a suicide, say that they never saw any signs, that the person was always happy. We tend to try and hide our pain from our loved ones, as to not have them worry. She may have been embarrassed about using oven cleaner to try and lessen the pain, but at that late stage of cancer...what else can you do? You're desperate and hurting. Rest in peace, Gloria.

Have a good day to all. Thank you Fascinating Horror!

What an interesting case. Thankfully, none of the hospital staff lost their lives, and hopefully a similiar incident doesn't happen again. I would love to hear your telling of the 2015 Tianjin explosions in China, as it seems to have flown mostly under the radar for many people I've met.

Never underestimate the lengths people will go to end their pain. What a way to die. It sounded truly horrible.

Perfect way to start the morning with Fascinating Horror

It’s weird and unfortunate that this insane series of events happened to someone who was so well-liked and warm to everyone, then the media branded the story as “the toxic lady”. That’s just a shame.

Being sick and making everyone around me sick would be an absolute nightmare.

Usually you’re the trendsetter with these. I’d seen this one before yours. But I prefer your intro, narration, voice, and everything else please keep doing what you’re doing

Echoing many others, I really appreciate your matter of fact telling of the stories. No clickbait, just what happened and what was learned from it. Keep up the great work!

Always look forward to Tuesday mornings when FH uploads a video

What a strange story. How do you come across those creepy and bewildering and awkward stories? You are a brilliant researcher, and I love your voice and kind of telling tone. Thank you!

thank you for humanizing her. you are sensitive when talking about these oddities and disasters. i don’t think that there’s anything wrong with being curious about and sharing with others your findings on unusual things. you do it the right way by giving victims and survivors their humanity.

I'd heard this story before, but you had detail I'd never seen. Thank you for covering this tragic story! It sounds like she was just trying to get relief at the end stages of a terrible disease. It's hard to imagine anyone being able to predict what happened.

I love the personal details you added at the end about Gloria. I'm sorry such a nice person had to endure so much. RIP.

I really appreciated the humanizing of Gloria Ramirez in this video; it's a welcome reminder that this was a person who was dearly loved by many people, and so much more than just "the toxic lady"

Good morning Fascinating Horror 😮❤😊

Unbelievable! This sort of 'perfect storm' situation is astounding. Wow!!!

I remember how the LA local news treated this story as it broke. I never knew about the final outcome. Thank you for that.

Hospital: We have 100 employees that are sick, one’s in ICU. Also hospital: It’s hysteria, so there’s no worker’s comp.

Bless the staff who continued to assist Gloria.

Bravo to this channel for doing justice to this poor woman and her family. I love this channel. I feel terrible for this woman. Her picture shows a highly attractive woman whose glow jumps right off the page. My heart goes out to all those injured physically or emotionally from this event.

rest in peace and power, Gloria. thanks for this. i've seen many mystery videos about this case but this feels quite definitive and vanishes some of the mystique, which is good because it gives this woman back her name and humanity.

May you rest in peace, fellow sister. Gloria, in excelsis deo. As her legacy as a nice lady will be remembered and not for her toxic body.

This channel will always be among my favorites due to the respect shown to those involved in any incident discussed. I never would have known about a lot of these disasters/incidents without this channel. So thank you for all the incredible work you do.

Of all the videos and shows I've seen recounting this event, yours was definitely the most respectful of the young woman, while also being very informative. Great job as always.

This literally sounds like a House MD case.

"if you have eliminated all other possibility, what remains, however distasteful it may seem, has to be the answer" ~Sherlock Holmes DMSO killed this woman, no doubt.. this is why, wives tales, home remedies, and granny cures are a BAD IDEA..

Thank you for all the Southern California episodes. I remember so many of the San Bernardino and Riverside County stories. People were really creeped out over this episode.

I truly appreciate you giving such an unbiased and well rounded summary of these stories, and being so respectful with the victims.

The DMSO argument makes so much sense, especially according to a scientific comment I read in this thread. It’s understandable that the family may have wanted to avoid a possible lawsuit due to the series of said unfortunate events and the fact DMSO was taken off the market for reasons of toxicity. It’s just really saddening that Gloria was already on her way out with the cancer, and got so desperate applying the DMSO in an attempt to lessen the pain…not knowing it was doing no more than slowly poisoning her and she ends up ultimately passing from the reaction. Rest in peace, I’m sure she was a very kind and amicable person 💐

The officials plucking "hysteria" out of the air as the cause must of been infuriating to those affected by this

i have heard that story many times however that was the most humane retelling actually remembering the lady rather than just her fate, thanks

I've never heard this story before, but based on the comments im glad that this is my introduction to it. Respectfuly done and gives the victim dignity. Keep up the great videos!

Surely it would have been easy to find out if Gloria actually possessed any DMSO at the time? If none was present in her property, then it could be ruled ot?

My dad has used DMSO on sore joints and it sure is stinky. He’s always been into trying alternative remedies - some suspect, some actually helpful.

Wow, you never disappoint. I have to tell you, knowing an episode of Fascinating horror would be available today is what made it possible to get out of bed this morning. Thank you!

I remember the case well. It was quite a mystery at the time. You handled the subject better than I ever heard it done before. Thanks so much!

Bud, not being able to move my limbs is more than an "unpleasant symptom" 😂

I struggle to believe that people would say hysteria caused hepatitis and necrosis of the bones. The willingness to dismiss women's medical issues truly knows no bounds.

This story is wild, I’m glad you did your take on it from the other explanations I’ve seen. Always love your versions 👍🏻👏🏻

I remember this case so well as I live only an hours south of Riverside. I also must say that my heart goes out to Gloria and her family and also to the angels who were her medical staff. That said, in this day and age, there is almost NO reason ever that a normal woman should ever die from cervical cancer. Pap smears have been around from at least the end of WWII and maybe even before then. Once detected, cervical cancer is extremely easy to cure. Women MUST get annual pap smears starting right around 20 and continue getting them. They are easy and done as part of one's yearly physical. It is so important to get these routine tests done so no onther woman need die of such a curable cancer.

We actually studied this case in my toxicology courses

Hearing this certainly won't help to calm the nerves of those who are already uncomfortable attending a hospital

I remember hearing this story when I was only a child. Thank you for covering this, I couldn’t believe how much of a mystery this was.

As always Excellent work ! Thank you again !

I did imagine some form of "alternative" medicine was involved because of her cancer but if that explanation is actually happened that was very unlucky

I have never heard anyone actually offer an explanation for her symptoms. It's always, 'Not one knows what caused her death. What a mysterious mystery!'.

Fascinating. I was just thinking of this woman all Sunday and all Monday. I couldn’t remember what her name was. Amazing. Wonderful upload. 😊

This story never gets old. I like hearing all the different views on it.

wow....I remember hearing about this and all the conspiracy theories around it......I recall one was that she was a shape shifting alien and that her blood was toxic to humans or that she was some kind of android........anyway, this is unbelievably tragic for this woman and of course the strangeness to it all.......

I lived in Riverside in 1994 😳 (I remember this).

Long time watcher and first time commenter, this video perfectly encapsulates why I love your vids I've seen videos an order of magnitude longer than this that didn't give Gloria a fraction of the dignity and humanization you managed in less than 10 minutes. That, and I can't remember any that actually cover the possible explanation so thoroughly and instead treat her case as a ~creepy mystery~ Your work has such a succinct and unsensationalized coverage of incidents both obscure and infamous that its a breath of fresh air on this site Keep it up my guy 👍‍

I remember this story being huge when I was young. I lived somewhat close to this hospital and it was talked about for sometime after. Wild stuff. Thanks!

It's been a couple of decades since I last heard about this story. Thanks for covering it!

Doctors & nurses: We passed out & now have health issues. Hospital management: It's all just in your head.

How professionally handled. Thank you for enlightening me as to the cause of this sad and terrifying circumstance. RIP Dear Gloria.

Thank you so much for being kind and respectful to Ms. Ramirez; you told an interesting story without sensationalism, and with compassion. I love the way you present your cases- much respect to you!