2. The First Child to Die of AIDS is Buried on Hart Island
Melinda Hunt from the Hart Island Project has previously spoken about one grave different than the rest – that of the first child to die of AIDS in New York City.
Buried deep in the wooded area, however, there was one marker with an unusual number, “SC-B1, 1985.” Upon inquiry, we found that the marker belonged to a solitary grave of the first child victim of AIDS to be buried on Hart Island. Extra precautions were taken to bury the child in a separate and deeper grave. This AIDS grave seemed like a ‘tomb to an unknown child. It came to represent all children who were yet to die of AIDS as well as child victims of earlier epidemics.
16 other AIDS victims were buried in the 1980s on the southern half of the island, under 14 feet of soil as an added precaution.
