AEGiS-AP: AIDS-Stricken Marine Who Won Case Dies

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

AIDS-Stricken Marine Who Won Case Dies

The Associated Press; Saturday, November 2, 1991

BOSTON - An AIDS-infected Marine who had battled the federal government over the AIDS deaths of his wife and son died early Friday, less than a month after he won $3.8 million in damages, a spokesman said.

Martin Gaffney died at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he had been hospitalized since September, a hospital spokesman said.

Gaffney, 42, had charged in his suit that doctors at the Long Beach, Calif., Naval Hospital botched his wife's pregnancy in 1981 by failing to give her a Caesarean section. She was two weeks late delivering the baby, and required a blood transfusion that was tainted with the AIDS virus.

The infant was stillborn. The couple had another son, who died of AIDS at 13 months. Gaffney's wife, Mutsuko, died of AIDS in 1987. His 8-year-old daughter, Maureene, now lives with Gaffney's brother in Lowell.

Gaffney, who also tested positive for HIV, the AIDS virus, was diagnosed with lymphoma, a form of cancer that sometimes occurs as a result of the AIDS infection. Maureene has tested negative for HIV. In April, U.S. District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel awarded Gaffney $3.5 million, plus $315,000 to cover future medical costs.

Gaffney had accused the government of dragging out the case as his health grew worse.

Copyright 1991/The Associated Press. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Permissions Desk, The Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020.
911102
AP911101

AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation, and donations from users like you.

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1991. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 1991. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .