ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Some of the descendants of victims of the study near Tuskegee, Alabama are speaking out and encouraging others to trust the medical experts and get vaccinated — all as they’re working to dispel myths and tell the untold stories from that 40-year study.
83-year-old Orange County resident Leo Ware will never forget what he says happened to both his grandfathers during an experimental study. “It’s no question what happened was wrong,” Ware said. “They thought they were being treated but it wasn’t for the syphilis it was for what they call bad blood.” Researchers told the men they were being treated for “bad blood,” but they did not receive the proper treatment needed to cure their illness.