The Last Days, Death and Funeral of José Martínez: An HIV/AIDS Patient at the The San José Hospice, San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Feb 1993

José Alberto Martínez, age 29, was a married painter and decorator, he was dying from HIV/AIDS related tuberculosis (TB). José had contracted the HIV virus from a sex worker and his wife Rosa was now HIV+. I suggested to them that documenting the truth of contracting the HIV/AIDS virus could raise public awareness, influence, educate and even stimulate the research for new antiretroviral drugs. It was also possible people would alter their sexual behaviour by seeing the cruel reality of dying from an HIV/AIDS related illness. José, Rosa and his mother all agreed to this with the hope that at least something positive may come from his death.

Notes from my diary:

“…I had been trying to sleep in an empty, hot, mosquito filled room next to José’s isolation room and could hear him groaning and talking in his sleep at night. As José’s health deteriorated I wondered if I was doing the right thing waiting for him to die so I could photograph his body and later funeral, and in particular how to photograph him with the respect and dignity he deserved.

However, at around 7pm on the third evening, a Honduran nurse found me and said, ‘José esta muerto’. I photographed his naked body as he was washed and dressed in a ragged football kit (as he had requested). José was then wrapped in a white cotton shroud and placed in a thin wooden open coffin which was then carried to the hospice chapel. Candles and incense were lit and his friends from the hospice came to pray and pay their respects. The following day his coffin was closed and taken on the hospice open back truck, accompanied by his wife Rosa to his mothers house for a night prayer vigil, he was buried the next day”.

José’s family wanted to show that he was a much loved family member who had not been rejected or abandoned by them. I promised them that I would make every effort to publish these photographs and tell José’s story as much as possible in order to inform others and make this project a lasting memorial to him and all the other HIV/AIDS patients at the hospice.

Web pages that relate to this project:

This work was supported by Panos Pictures, World Health Organisation and UNFPA.

[HON 36] Rosa caring for José.

[HON 37] José keeps his legs cool.

[HON 38] The last photograph of José, he died shortly after this photograph was taken.

[HON 39] His body is washed then dressed in the football team kit of San Pedro Sula, his final wish.

[HON 40] José is placed in an open coffin in the hospice Chapel of Rest. José Maria comes to pay his respects to his friend.

[HON 41] Rosa with José’s coffin en route to his mother’s house, the following day.

[HON 42] José’s mother and brother holding a photo of José. José Maria is in the background.

[HON 43] José’s mother, brother and sister grieve on the roadside.

[HON 44] Jose’s coffin is removed to his mother’s house for a night vigil to be attended by family and friends.

[HON 45] José’s mother, Rosa and other relatives try to open the coffin whilst in a state of hysteria, they hope he can be brought back to life. José’s mother is overcome by grief, collapses and hits her head on the floor, causing her temporary unconsciousness.

[HON 46] Rosa holding the photograph of José.