Ryan White - A Portrait of Courage

Who Was Ryan White?:
Born December 6, 1971, Ryan White was your typical teenager when in the mid 1980's he was diagnosed with HIV. He was born with the condition hemophilia and contracted HIV from infected blood products he received to treat the condition.

The Hemophilia - HIV Connection

Hatred, Fear, and Ignorance:
When Ryan was diagnosed with HIV, the Kokomo, Indiana school board expelled him from school because they felt he was a health risk to other students. He and his family fought the school board in an effort to allow him to attend public school.

What Is My HIV Risk?

AIDS...Not Just a Gay Disease:
It has been speculated that the reason White got so much attention was that he was a heterosexual, white, middle class boy who was not part of any of the minority groups stigmatized by the disease. Activist joined the family's cause in an effort to explain to the public that HIV could not be transmitted by casual contact and was not just a "gay disease".

How Is HIV Transmitted From Person To Person?

Welcomed with Open Arms:
After gunshots were fired into the White home, the family moved to nearby Cicero, Indiana where Ryan was welcomed with open arms. The faculty, staff and townspeople were fully educated about HIV and realized that Ryan was not a risk to anyone.

HIV Info Everyone Needs To Know

Education was the Key:
Before he died on April 8, 1990, he worked to educate people on the nature of HIV and AIDS, to show that it was not a "gay disease" and that it was not a disease that could be transmitted by casual contact.

His Memory Lives On:
In late 1990, the US Congress passed the Ryan White Care Act which provides HIV funding for care, education and prevention.

The Ryan White Care Act