Ron Woodroof

Updated on Jan 26, 2024

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Name Ron Woodroof		Children Yvette Lynn Woodroof

Full Name Ronald Dickson Woodroof Born February 3, 1950 ( 1950-02-03 ) Dallas, Texas Died September 12, 1992, Dallas, Texas, United States Spouse Brenda Shari Robin (m. 1982–1986), Rory S. Flynn (m. 1972–1973), Mary Etta Pybus (m. 1969–1972) Parents Garland Odell Woodroof, Willie Mae Hughes Similar People Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner

Ronald Dickson "Ron" Woodroof (February 3, 1950 – September 12, 1992) was an American man who created what would become known as the Dallas Buyers Club in March 1988. After contracting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the 1980s, he created the group as part of his efforts to find and distribute medicines to treat HIV at a time when the disease was poorly understood.

Doctor to ron woodroof shares his real life dallas buyers club memories

He was portrayed in the film Dallas Buyers Club by Matthew McConaughey.

Matthew McConaughey wearing a white shirt who played the role of Ronald Dickson Woodroof in the film Dallas Buyers Club.

Infographic

He sued the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over a ban on a drug, peptide T, he was using.

Ronald Dickson Woodroof with mustache and wearing a polo shirt.

Who was the Founder of Dallas buyers club

Biography

Ronald Dickson Woodroof wearing a black shirt.

Woodroof was born in Dallas, Texas, on February 3, 1950, to Garland Odell Woodroof (March 17, 1917, in Texas - December 3, 1983, in Dallas) and Willie Mae Hughes (November 25, 1917, in Oklahoma - November 19, 1996, in Dallas). He had a mercurial personality. One reporter wrote that "Woodroof took guns to his doctor’s office, prompting Dr. Steven Pounders to 'fire him as a patient.'" Woodroof later sent the doctor roses, and the doctor took him back. Even some of his friends told the reporters that he was gay or bisexual.

Ronald Dickson Woodroof with a mustache, wearing a checkered shirt and with different kinds of medicines.

Accounts differ on whether he made homophobic comments. Reporter and screenwriter Craig Borten has said Woodroof was "as racist and homophobic as they come" while friends reportedly claim the opposite.

Facts

Ronald Dickson Woodroof with mustache and wearing white long sleeves.

He was just a common man who brought an uncommon revolution in the field of AIDS medication in the 1980s' lived his life to the fullest. His life story is brimmed with several unconventional and interesting experiences. Have a look at some facts about his life:

• He was born in Dallas on February 3, 1950. He worked as an electrician in the city until 1986.

• He married three women at different stages in his life. He has a daughter Yvette Lynn with his first wife Mary Etta Pybus. Rory S. Flynn and Brenda Shari Robin were his second and third wife respectively.

• His sexuality had always been in question. He along with his third wife, however, once confessed in an interview that he was bisexual.

• He reportedly had multiple relationships with gay men during 80s'.

• He was diagnosed HIV positive in 1986 when an epidemic of AIDS had hit America with only one FDA approved a drug to cure the disease in the market.

• Doctors told him that he has just 30 days to live. Not willing to take his death sentence as scripture, he began looking out for alternative medicines to cure the disease.

• He read hundreds of thesis and kidnaped a doctor to get a formula of a drug prepared from him.

• He imported the medicines not approved by the FDA from Japan, Israel and China.

• He once used a Chinese drug well aware of the fact that the drug can risk his life but came out of it without any side effects.

• He began using Peptide T drug which was not approved by the FDA and found that it worked well for him and helped him to cut on the symptoms of dementia, a condition that occurs in AIDS. He then filed a case against the government agencies for delaying the legalization of Peptide T drug as a cure for AIDS.

• He formed a buyer club called 'Dallas Buyers Club' where he used to smuggle and import unapproved medicines from different countries and sell it to the members who were suffering from AIDS. He helped to prolong the lives of over thousands of AIDS victims using these medicines.

• A movie called 'Dallas Buyers Club' based on his real-life story, was released in 2013. Matthew McConaughey portrayed the role of Ron in the film which won several Academy Awards nominations.

• He was however portrayed as homophobic in the film who shared a love relationship with a transgender woman. In real life, He was neither homophobic nor shared any romantic relationship with a transgender.

• He contracted pneumonia which could not be cured because of AIDS and hence he died in 1992.

Ex-Spouse/Wives

Woodroof's sexuality and his marital relationships have been a prominent part of the headlines for decades. The man who hit to fame when he laid the foundation of a club for AIDS patients back in the 1980s' has been through a roller coaster ride as far as his love relationships are concerned. He first tied the knot with Mary Etta Pybus on June 28, 1969, in his hometown Dallas, Texas.

The two shared a beautiful bond for a couple of years and also have a daughter named Yvette Lynn Woodroof together. Mary Etta Pybus and Ron parted ways on March 23, 1972. Soon after their divorce, on May 6, 1972, He married Rory S. Flynn in Dallas itself. Their marriage, however, lasted only for a year and they got divorced on May 21, 1973. He then found his love in Brenda Shari Robin and tied the knot with her on October 4, 1982, in Lubbock. Their marriage stayed strong for a couple of years. But they, however, called it quits on March 4, 1986, after he was diagnosed with HIV. But they reportedly shared a warm cordial relationship until the last days of Ron before he passed away on September 12, 1992.

Mary Etta Pybus

Talking about his very first marriage, his controversial married life began with Mary Etta Pybus. He first tied the knot with Mary Etta Pybus on June 28, 1969, in his hometown Dallas, Texas. Their's was reportedly a love marriage. Both of them belonged to the same city as well. The two shared a beautiful bond of love and enjoyed the marital bliss for a couple of years. The much-in-love couple also had a daughter named Yvette Lynn Woodroof together. But the things eventually fall apart for the couple and they decided to part their ways. He and Mary called it quits on March 23, 1972.

Rory S. Flynn

His marital relationships have been as complicated as his life was! The movie Dallas Buyer Club inspired by his real life story shows Ron sharing intimate relationships with multiple women but it hardly gives a glimpse into his marital life. He parted ways with his first wife Mary Etta Pybus in March 1972. Soon after their divorce, on May 6, 1972, he married Rory S. Flynn in his hometown Dallas. Rory too belonged to Dallas itself. She was born in 1952. Rumours were rife that Rorry was responsible for his first wife Marry Etta Pybusn's divorce as she came in between their marriage as the third woman. Their marriage, however, did not work well for too long. Both of them decided to call it quits with in a year of tying the knot. He and Rorry filed for a divorce even before they could celebrate their first wedding anniversary and finally got rid of their apparently loveless marriage on May 21, 1973. While He had a daughter with his first wife, he did not have any child with Rorry. Moreover, Rorry disappeared from Ron's life completely after their divorce.

Brenda Shari Robin

He had an interesting romantic life. His marriages and love relationships had been the talk of the town for years. After two failed marriages, He found his love in Brenda Shari Robin. He tied the knot with Brenda on October 4, 1982, in Lubbock.

The couple shared a strong relationship for a couple of years. Their marriage stayed full of love and intact for a few years. But they, however, called it quits on March 4, 1986, after he was diagnosed with HIV. He was given just a month to live after the diagnosis. But he fought hard for his life and the life of other AIDS victims and challenged Big Pharma by starting Dallas Buyers Club. Even after parting their ways, Brenda supported him emotionally throughout his disease.

Ron and Brenda reportedly shared a warm cordial relationship until the last days of Ron before he passed away on September 12, 1992. A film on Ron's real-life titled Dallas Buyer Club was made in 2013. But the film surprisingly does not show any details about Brenda Shari Robin, his third ex wife, friend and an emotional pillar of strength during his final days.

Daughter Yvette Lynn Woodroof

He married Mary Etta Pybus on June 28, 1969. This was his first marriage. He became a father on February 1, 1970 when his wife Mary gave birth to a baby girl. They named her Yvette Lynn Woodroof. Yvette was their only child. The couple parted ways in March 1972, when Yvette was just two years old. She reportedly stayed with her mother after their divorce. Ron went on to marry his second wife just a few months after his divorce with Mary. But he allegedly had no babies with her or her third wife Brenda Shari Robin. Apparently, Yvette was the only child of Ron as far as all his marriages and love relationships are concerned. Her whereabouts are, however, not known as she remained away from the limelight with her mother and Ron's first wife since her childhood.

Dallas Buyers Club How it was Founded and How it Worked ?

Ronald Dickson Woodroof born on February 3, 1950, remained a low-key electrician by profession until he was tested positive for Human Immunodeficiency Virus in 1986. The macho man from Dallas, Texas was told by the doctors that he has only 30 days more to live. But he denied to accept his fate and began his search for an efficient medication to save his life. During 1980s', America was facing an epidemic of AIDS with only one medicine, on the market to treat the disease. The drug AZT was given to live for only six months more.

Ron found the US-FDA approved medicines very slow and inefficient on his disease so he began to explore new medicines to help him get out of the disease. He had reportedly abducted a doctor to know the formula of medicines that could help him heal. He imported a Peptide T drug for himself which worked in lowering the symptoms of dementia associated with Aids. He had filed a case against the government agency for delaying the legalization of Peptide T in the country as well. He also smuggled medicines from Israel, Sweden, and Japan. He bribed a doctor to write a prescription for alpha interferon, an antiviral agent for him. He experimented with a whole lot of drugs in a desperate attempt to save himself which included even a dangerous one from China that could have killed him.

Owing to the AIDS epidemic, hundreds of people were diagnosed HIV positive. Most of them just like Ron were unhappy with the FDA approved medicines that hardly worked for them. Everyone was on a search of some effective medicines. Buyers clubs with members suffering from AIDS began to form in the country. In such clubs members pooled in monthly fees to import prescription medicines, often illegally. These drugs were then distributed so members could self-medicate.

Ron, who had already kicked off a revolution in the field of research of new medicines of AIDS, took the lead in Dallas and formed the Dallas Buyers Club. This club was considered to be the most experimenting, edgiest and daring one. The club ran by him became one of the most successful and flourished Buyers Club in the country.

In 1992, the Club had 4,000 regular customers. It was supplying up to 112 chemical drugs none of which were approved by the US-FDA. Dallas Morning News journalist, Sherry Jacobson had also written about Woodroof calling him an “improbable hero” who helped hundreds "perhaps thousands” of Aids sufferers who prolonged their lives.

Within six years, the Club had a boastful number of regular members who were supplied with legal and illegal medicines that did not cure AIDS but certainly helped them live longer just like the US-FDA unapproved medicines helped him live for six years. But busy in business and finding new cure for the disease, Ron was never vocal about his inner suffering. After gifting himself 6 years of life which the doctors earlier said would end in just 30 days, Ron is remembered as a rebel who fought for his own life and the lives of hundreds of AIDS victims!

Peptide T usage

During the 80s’ when Ron contracted AIDS, the government was providing AIDS victims in the country with clinically approved medicines. But many of them including him believed that the medicines worked very slow. He was sure that he would successfully find some drugs by hook or by crook that are faster and more efficient. That's when he came across Peptide T drug. This drug was proven non-toxic by the US-FDA but they had still not approved it for medicinal use yet. But Ron imported Peptide T and tried it on himself. He found that the drug helped him stave off the symptoms of dementia associated with Aids. Apart from lowering the symptoms of dementia, Peptide T effects on cellular viral load showed reductions in the persistently infected monocyte reservoir to undetectable levels in most of the patients.

Finding out that the drug worked wonders for AIDS patients, he was furious over the government for not legalizing it. He went on to file a case against the government agency for delaying the legalization of Peptide T drug for AIDS.

How did Ron Woodroof Contract Aids ?

The AIDS epidemic which was gradually engulfing several countries in the world, found its way to the United States of America in 1961. Though the first case of AIDS was reported back in 1961, the epidemic of Human Immunodeficiency Virus hit the US in 1981. The disease was rapidly spreading among the people in the country. Men, women, children, youngsters the disease spared none in the country. The toll of AIDS victim in the country reached thousands within years. Initially, the doctors discovered clusters of Kaposi's sarcoma and pneumocystis pneumonia in young gay men in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco in 1981. Both Kaposi's sarcoma and pneumocystis pneumonia occurs in people with AIDS.

Woodroof was a bisexual. He reportedly shared sexually active physical relationships with a number of gay men throughout his life. He and his third wife Brenda Shari Robin have also confessed about him being bisexual in an interview. Ron's physical relationships with gay men can apparently be considered as one of the ways he would have contracted AIDS as several young gay men were diagnosed of the disease during those days. No news of drug abuse by Ron was reported before he contracted AIDS in 1986, rubbishing the chances of contracting the disease by used syringes or other things.

During those days the treatment of HIV/AIDS was primarily via a "drug cocktail" of antiretroviral medicines. Education programs were also held to spread awareness about the spread of the disease to help people avoid infection. But all this could not save Ron from contracting the HIV virus. He was given only 30 days by the doctors to live but he somehow managed to survive for six long years by arranging different drugs both legal and illegal to save his life. He died after contracting pneumonia in 1992.

Death and Afterwards

In the wake of finding a cure to his disease, Woodroof began exploring several drugs irrespective of if they were legal or not. He found out that the US-FDA approved drugs were hardly working well on his disease, so he began reading thesis by several doctors to find out a formulation of the workable drug for AIDS. From using peptide T drug to a Chinese drug that risked his life and several imported illegal medicines from different countries, Ron did everything he could to cure his disease. He experimented with a whole lot of drugs in a desperate attempt to save his life He, however, managed to survive not for just 30 days as told by the doctors but for the whole six years before he succumbed to his disease as he was caught in pneumonia brought on by AIDS and could not overcome it. He died on September 12, 1992.

Poster of "Dallas Buyers Club" drama film featuring Matthew McConaughey as Ron Woodroof.

Woodroof's final years became the basis of the 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club. He was portrayed in the film by Matthew McConaughey who won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Woodroof.

Grave Site

Burial Restland Memorial Park Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, USA.

Plot Section U, Block C, Lot 17, Sp 1.

Memorial ID 120466629.

He was caught in the clutches of pneumonia in 1992. The disease could not be cured because of AIDS. He succumbed to his disease on September 12, 1992. He was laid to rest at the Restland Memorial Park in his hometown Dallas, Texas in the United States Of America. He was 42 years old when he breathed his last.