As the world learned of the names and faces behind the 11 shooting deaths in Pittsburgh over the weekend, a number of touching stories emerged on social media, painting a devastating picture of those lost in the deadly synagogue rampage.
One of the victims, most of whom were elderly, was Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, who was remembered by many as a caring and compassionate doctor and a pioneer of early AIDS treatment.
In a touching message shared on Facebook, New Yorker Michael Kerr shared his experience of being treated by Dr. Rabinowitz, 66.
"My doctor Jerry Rabinowitz was among those killed in the Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting. He took care of me up until I left Pittsburgh for NYC in 2004," Kerr wrote in the post, which soon went viral.
"In the old days for HIV patients in Pittsburgh he was to one to go to. Basically before there was effective treatment for fighting HIV itself, he was known in the community for keeping us alive the longest. He often held our hands (without rubber gloves) and always always hugged us as we left his office."
He continued: "We made a deal about my T cells in that I didn’t want to know the numbers visit to visit because I knew I would fret with every little fluctuation and I also knew that AZT was not working for my friends. The deal was that he would just let me know at some point when the T cell numbers meant I needed to start on medications. The numbers were his job and my job was to finish my masters thesis and get a job with insurance and try to not go crazy."
Kerr said that he got "lucky beyond words" under the care of Rabinowitz, with the doctor finding him a place in an early ACTG trial for two HIV medications that ended up saving his life - one of which he still takes to this day.
"Thank you ACT UP for getting these drugs into a safe but effective expedited research protocol. You saved my life," Kerr wrote."
"And thank you Dr. Rabinowitiz for having always been there during the most terrifying and frightening time of my life. You will be remembered by me always. You are one of my heroes just like the early ACT UP warriors - some of which I now call friend."
Others also shared their tributes, with a number of former patients opening up about being treated by Dr. Rabinowitiz in the 70s and 80s and the difference his empathetic approach to his work had on their lives.
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