Ralston figured walking would suit her more and mentioned to her husband if an AIDS walk was scheduled, she would be interested. When she returned from a trip, Ralston found that her husband had taken her comment seriously. Her donations have to be in by October to guarantee a spot on the trek. Ralston is a practitioner of natural medicine to promote healing. But she supports research for a vaccine for AIDS, a disease that still carries a stigma in society.
Research is wonderful, it's great.
But we need something now. Statistics offered by Pallota report 17 million people died of AIDS worldwide, of which 15 million, or 71 percent, are in Sub-Saharan Africa. The life expectancy in African countries has dropped from the 60s to below 35, according to Pallota's statistics. The walk is one of three events scheduled to raise funds for an AIDS vaccine this year. She now owns and operates a new Silver Spring practice.