White, Ryan (1971-1990), was an American student known for the discrimination he faced after he was infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. His challenges against the deadly disease helped raise awareness and generate compassion and support for people living with AIDS.
Ryan Wayne White was born on Dec. 6, 1971, in Kokomo, Indiana. Since birth, he suffered from hemophilia, a hereditary disease in which the blood does not clot normally. In December 1984, Ryan was diagnosed with AIDS. Doctors believed he was infected with HIV from a blood transfusion he had received to treat his hemophilia. In 1984, doctors knew that HIV could be spread through injections and blood transfusions, but tests to detect HIV in donated blood had not yet been developed.
After Ryan’s diagnosis became known, officials in the Kokomo public school system banned him from attending classes. Officials claimed that the ban was meant to protect other students from possible HIV infection. At the time, AIDS was a relatively new, yet life-threatening disease, and poor understanding of how HIV can be transmitted stoked public fears. In early 1985, Ryan and his parents began a campaign to overturn the ban and allow him to attend public school. By the end of 1985, the campaign had attracted nationwide attention to the discrimination faced by people with HIV. Ryan was eventually allowed to attend classes. In 1987, Ryan and his family moved to Cicero, Indiana, where he attended public school.
Ryan White died of complication from AIDS on April 8, 1990. By that time, he had become the public face of the struggle against the disease and the discrimination and fear often associated with it. In 1990, the United States Congress passed the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act to create the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. The program, administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, works to provide care and treatment for people living with HIV.
