After two days in a comatose state, Willie Ramirez woke up in a hospital bed, confused.
He had no idea what had happened or where he was. He soon discovered that he could no longer move his arms and legs.
The details of what unfolded in those 48 hours in January 1980 remain somewhat murky. The 18-year-old native Spanish speaker had fallen unconscious after arriving at his girlfriend’s house. The girlfriend’s mother and Willie’s mother—both of whom spoke