AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
FRONT PAGE: Outside John’s home
“DO NOT REVIVE - AIDS” was the suicide note left by grammar school teacher John Hutchinson. John, foreseeing his recent HIV test result being positive, decided to tragically take his own life at his Birmingham home in August 1986.
While another side of the AIDS pandemic that goes relatively untold is the impact of the AIDS campaigns, ignorance, and hysteria. Which saw people take their own lives merely for ‘suspecting’ or ‘fearing’ they were living with HIV/AIDS. In this episode, we also look at two young men who were not HIV positive but took their own lives out of fear of AIDS. One had symptoms of Glandular Fever and the other whose girlfriend had a minor sexual infection.
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HUTCHINSON John Louis: was born on 4 August 1938 in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire. John was the eldest of four brothers, Alec, Alan and David to parents Louis J Hutchinson and Annie Suddes who married in March 1936, in Lanchester, Durham. John sadly took his own life on 12 August 1986 just eight days after his 48th birthday.
John’s Probate
A few newspaper clippings relating to John before reports of his untimely death.
SANDS, Lee: was born 3 February 1969 in Portsmouth survived by his identical twin brother, Nigel Sands. Son of Martyn Sands and Christine Stanley. Lee took his own life on 13 March 1987.
Lee was not living with HIV or AIDS.
ROBERTS, Stephen: was born on 13 October 1964 in Newton Abbot, Devon to parents William ‘Bill’ Roberts and Emily Tuckwell. Aged 18 Stephen married Deborah Lee and they had two children, Michael John in 1984 and Michelle Emma in 1985, Torbay, Devon. From the newspaper reports of the children being taken into care ahead of their divorce proceedings. Both children have ‘sealed’ birth certificates indicating they went on to be adopted.
Stephen was survived by brother Billy and sisters Dawn and Marie. He was also survived by his parents William F. ‘Billy’ and Emily Roberts.
Stephen was not living with HIV or AIDS.
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