Facts on Ryan White

Ryan was born on December 6, 1971 and died on April 8, 1990. He had brown eyes and light brown hair.

What is Ryan White’s full name? Ryan Wayne White

What were his favorite colors? Red and Black

Who were his favorite singers? Bobby Brown, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Huey Lewis and Debbie Gibson

What were his favorite movies? Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Batman, Robo Cop and any adventure movie

What were his favorite subjects in school? Math and Auto Mechanics

Who were his favorite actors? Harrison Ford, Matt Frewer, Charlie Sheen and Arnold Schwarzenegger

What did he want to be when he grew up? Behind the scenes in TV

What were his favorite animals? His two dogs, his hamster, and the squirrel and chipmuck in our yard

Who were his favorite actresses? Judith Light and Alyssa Milano

What were his favorite books? Car books and car magazines

What were his favorite holidays? Christmas and Birthdays (December 6)

What were his favorite tv shows? Who’s the Boss, Andy Griffith, Doogie Howser M.D., All Comedy Shows, 21 Jump Street and Bill Cosby

How much did he weigh? 84 pounds Anything else? Collected comic books, G.I. Military items, X Men, G.I. Joes, Super Heros, Batman and Photo buttons (All kinds)

He worked one summer at: Maui Surf and Sport in Indianapolis

Loved:California- wanted to move there Clothes he liked: Town and Country shirts, Guess Jeans, Air Jordan shoes

Cover of: Saturday Evening Post, Picture Week — very first issue, People Magazine — 3 times

Benefits that Ryan attended:

Appeared on:

Story of Ryan White: Aired on ABC- Ryan starred in the film as his friend Chad Since Ryan’s Death, he has received:

Awards:

Ryan White’s Testimony before the President’s Commission on AIDS

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“Thank You, Commissioners:

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My name is Ryan White. I am sixteen years old. I have hemophilia, and I have AIDS.

When I was three days old, the doctors told my parents I was a severe hemophiliac, meaning my blood does not clot. Lucky for me, there was a product just approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It was called Factor VIII, which contains the clotting agent found in blood.

While I was growing up, I had many bleeds or hemorhages in my joints which make it very painful. Twice a week I would receive injections or IV’s of Factor VIII which clotted the blood and then broke it down. A bleed occurs from a broken blood vessel or vein. The blood then had nowhere to go so it would swell up in a joint. You could compare it to trying to pour a quart of milk into a pint-sized container of milk.

The first five to six years of my life were spent in and out of the hospital. All in all I led a pretty normal life. Most recently my battle has been against AIDS and the discrimination surrounding it. On December 17, 1984, I had surgery to remove two inches of my left lung due to pneumonia. After two hours of surgery the doctors told my mother I had AIDS. I contracted AIDS through my Factor VIII which is made from blood. When I came out of surgery, I was on a respirator and had a tube in my left lung. I spent Christmas and the next thirty days in the hospital. A lot of my time was spent searching, thinking and planning my life.

I came face to face with death at thirteen years old. I was diagnosed with AIDS: a killer. Doctors told me I’m not contagious. Given six months to live a being the fighter that I am, I set high goals for myself. It was my decision to live a normal life, go to school, be with my friends, and enjoying day to day activities. It was not going to be easy.

The school I was going to said they had no guidelines for a person with AIDS. The school board, my teachers, and my principal voted to keep me out of the classroom even after the guidelines were set by the I.S.B.H., for fear of someone getting AIDS from me by casual contact. Rumors of sneezing, kissing, tears, sweat, and saliva spreading AIDS caused people to panic.

We began a series of court battles for nine months, while I was attending classes by telephone. Eventually, I won the right to attend school, but the prejudice was still there. Listening to medical facts was not enough. People wanted one hundred percent guarantees. There are no one hundred percent guarantees in life, but concessions were made by Mom and me to help ease the fear. We decided to meet them halfway:

• Separate restrooms
• No gym
• Separate drinking fountains
• Disposable eating utensils and trays

Even though we knew AIDS was not spread through casual contact. Nevertheless, parents of twenty students started their own school. They were still not convinced. Because of the lack of education on AIDS, discrimination, fear, panic, and lies surrounded me:

• I became the target of Ryan White jokes
• Lies about me bitting people
• Spitting on vegetables and cookies
• Urinating on bathroom walls
• Some restaurants threw away my dishes
• My school locker was vandalized inside and folders were marked FAG and other obscenities

I was labeled a troublemaker, my mom an unfit mother, and I was not welcome anywhere. People would get up and leave so they would not have to sit anywhere near me. Even at church, people would not shake my hand.

This brought on the news media, TV crews, interviews, and numerous public appearances. I became known as the AIDS boy. I received thousands of letters of support from all around the world, all because I wanted to go to school. Mayor Kock, of New York, was the first public figure to give me support.

Entertainers, athletes, and stars started giving me support. I met some of the greatest like Elton John, Greg Louganis, Max Headroom, Alyssa Milano (my teen idol), Lyndon King (Los Angeles Raiders), and Charlie Sheen. All of these plus many more became my friends, but I had very few friends at school.

How could these people in the public eye not be afraid of me, but my whole town was?

It was duffucult, at times, to handle; but I tried to ignore the injustice, because I knew the people were wrong. My family and I held no hatred for those people because we realized they were victims of their own ignorance. We had great faith that with patience, understanding, and education, that my family and I could be helpful in changing their minds and attitudes around. Finanncial hardships were rough on us, even though Mom had a good job at G.M. The more I was sick, the more work she had to miss. Bills became impossible to pay. My sister, Andrea, was a championship roller skater who had to sacrifice too. There was no money for her lessons and travel. AIDS can destroy a family if you let it, but hluckily for my sister and me, Mom taught us to keep going. Don’t give up, be proud of who you are, and never feel sorry for yourself.

After two and a half years of declining health, two attacks of pneumocystis, shingles, a rare form of whooping cough, and liver problems, I faced fighting chills, fevers, coughing, tiredness, and vomiting. I was very ill and being tutored at home. The desire to move into a bigger house, to avoid living AIDS daily, and a dream to be accepted by a community and school, became possible and a reality with a movie about my life, The Ryan White Story.

My life is better now. At the end of the school year (1986-87), my family and I decided to move to Cicero, Indiana. We did a lot of hoping and praying that the community would welcome us, and they did. For the first time in three years, we feel we have a home, a supportive school, and lots of friends. The communities of Cicero, Atlanta, Arcadia, and Noblesville, Indiana, are now what we call “home.” I’m feeling great. I am a normal happy teenager again. I have a learner’s permit. I attend sports functions and dances. My studies are important to me. I made the honor role just recently, with 2 A’s and 2 B’s. I’m just one of the kids, and all because the students at Hamilton Heights High School listened to the facts, educated their parents and themselves, and believed in me.

I believe in myself as I look forward to graduating from Hamilton Heights High School in 1991.

Hamilton Heights High School is proof that AIDS EDUCATION in schools works.”

—

Ryan’s Mother shares son’s story of AIDS

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By Gerard Cohen-Vrignaud Daily Staff Reporter

Nearly eight years after her son Ryan died of AIDS, Jeanne White-Ginder spoke about the hardships she and her family faced in front of an audience of more than 500 at Rackham Auditorium last night.

Until his death in 1990, Ryan White crusaded on behalf of AIDS patients everywhere, trying to educate the public on the facts and myths of the deadly disease. Yesterday, White-Ginder furthered his legacy with her emotional story.

“Because of a misunderstood disease, my life changed overnight,” White-Ginder said. “When my son was born, it was the thrill of my life. When Ryan died, I felt like my life had come to an end.”

Ryan White was diagnosed as a severe hemophiliac shortly after his birth. He contracted the HIV virus from a tainted blood clotting agent that countered the effects of hemophilia.

“Little did we know that the drug that was saving his life would later take it away,” White-Ginder said.

In 1984, Ryan was one of the first children to develop a full-blown case of AIDS. National media focused attention on the town of Kokomo, Ind., when the local school refused to let Ryan attend, fearing he would spread the disease. His struggle to continue school won him many admirers but also made him the target of hate mail and even gun shots, which were fired at his house.

White-Ginder quickly learned that the recently discovered disease was still largely a mystery to doctors.

“I soon found out no one knew anything about AIDS,” White-Ginder said. “Everybody thought Ryan was gay - that he must have done something wrong. “

White-Ginder recounted how her son struggled to survive in 1984 when the first onset of symptoms hit. Almost miraculously, Ryan lived five and half more years when the doctors had said he only had three to six months left to live.

“One day, Ryan told me he had just talked to God,” White-Ginder recalled. “He told me I had nothing to fear. I would be taken care of.”

The experience changed White-Ginder. Raised as a strict Christian, she said her homophobic views were challenged when the gay community offered to help her and her son.

AIDS is the second leading cause of death among adults ages 25 to 44. Despite the fact that no cure for AIDS has been found, White-Ginder said she finds hope in current medical research.

“We still have no cure, but we have hope thanks to the many people who were at the forefront of the disease,” White-Ginder said. “When you have AIDS, you’re just like everybody who has AIDS. You’re fighting for your life.”

The newly organized group, Speaker Initiative, brought White-Ginder to the University. The coalition of student organizations is planning more speeches and panels in the future, including an appearance by musician Yo-Yo Ma and possibly political adviser George Stephanopoulos.

“From the Speaker Initiative point of view, this is our inaugural event,” said the group’s Co-Director Brian Reich. “We wanted to kick off with an influential individual and an important issue on campus.”

The danger of AIDS has caught the attention of young people, students said.

“I came because it’s something that affects us daily - especially students our age,” said Anjali Patel, an LSA sophomore. “It seems to be growing.”

Some organizations handed out condoms, pamphlets and videos about AIDS at the event.

“Anybody who’s having sex or sharing needles is at risk,” said Dan Kaul, a physician at the University’s HIV/AIDS Treatment Program.

Quotes by Ryan White

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A bleed occurs from a broken blood vessel or vein. The blood then had nowhere to go so it would swell up in a joint. You could compare it to trying to pour a quart of milk into a pint-sized container of milk. Ryan White

A lot of my time was spent searching, thinking and planning my life. Ryan White

AIDS can destroy a family if you let it, but luckily for my sister and me, Mom taught us to keep going. Don’t give up, be proud of who you are, and never feel sorry for yourself. Ryan White

All in all I led a pretty normal life. Ryan White

At the end of the school year (1986-87), my family and I decided to move to Cicero, Indiana. We did a lot of hoping and praying that the community would welcome us, and they did. Ryan White

Because of the lack of education on AIDS, discrimination, fear, panic, and lies surrounded me. Ryan White

Doctors told me I’m not contagious. Ryan White

Entertainers, athletes, and stars started giving me support. Ryan White

Even at church, people would not shake my hand. Ryan White

Eventually, I won the right to attend school, but the prejudice was still there. Ryan White

Financial hardships were rough on us, even though Mom had a good job at G.M. Ryan White

Given six months to live and being the fighter that I am, I set high goals for myself. Ryan White

How could these people in the public eye not be afraid of me, but my whole town was? Ryan White

I became known as the AIDS boy. Ryan White

I believe in myself as I look forward to graduating from Hamilton Heights High School in 1991. Ryan White

I came face to face with death at thirteen years old. Ryan White

I contracted AIDS through my Factor VIII which is made from blood. Ryan White

I received thousands of letters of support from all around the world, all because I wanted to go to school. Ryan White

I was diagnosed with AIDS: a killer. Ryan White

I was labeled a troublemaker, my mom an unfit mother, and I was not welcome anywhere. Ryan White

I’m feeling great. I am a normal happy teenager again. I have a learner’s permit. I attend sports functions and dances. Ryan White

I’m just one of the kids, and all because the students at Hamilton Heights High School listened to the facts, educated their parents and themselves, and believed in me. Ryan White

It was difficult, at times, to handle; but I tried to ignore the injustice, because I knew the people were wrong. Ryan White

It was my decision to live a normal life, go to school, be with my friends, and enjoying day to day activities. It was not going to be easy. Ryan White

Listening to medical facts was not enough. People wanted one hundred percent guarantees. Ryan White

Mayor Koch, of New York, was the first public figure to give me support. Ryan White

Most recently my battle has been against AIDS and the discrimination surrounding it. Ryan White

My family and I held no hatred for those people because we realized they were victims of their own ignorance. Ryan White

My name is Ryan White. I am sixteen years old. I have hemophilia, and I have AIDS. Ryan White

My sister, Andrea, was a championship roller skater who had to sacrifice too. There was no money for her lessons and travel. Ryan White

My studies are important to me. I made the honor role just recently, with 2 A’s and 2 B’s. Ryan White

On December 17, 1984, I had surgery to remove two inches of my left lung due to pneumonia. After two hours of surgery the doctors told my mother I had AIDS. Ryan White

People would get up and leave so they would not have to sit anywhere near me. Ryan White

Rumors of sneezing, kissing, tears, sweat, and saliva spreading AIDS caused people to panic. Ryan White

The desire to move into a bigger house, to avoid living AIDS daily, and a dream to be accepted by a community and school, became possible and a reality with a movie about my life, The Ryan White Story. Ryan White

The first five to six years of my life were spent in and out of the hospital. Ryan White

The school board, my teachers, and my principal voted to keep me out of the classroom even after the guidelines were set by the I.S.B.H., for fear of someone getting AIDS from me by casual contact. Ryan White

The school I was going to said they had no guidelines for a person with AIDS. Ryan White

There are no one hundred percent guarantees in life, but concessions were made by Mom and me to help ease the fear. Ryan White

This brought on the news media, TV crews, interviews, and numerous public appearances. Ryan White

Twice a week I would receive injections or IV’s of Factor VIII which clotted the blood and then broke it down. Ryan White

We began a series of court battles for nine months, while I was attending classes by telephone. Ryan White

We had great faith that with patience, understanding, and education, that my family and I could be helpful in changing their minds and attitudes around. Ryan White

When I came out of surgery, I was on a respirator and had a tube in my left lung. I spent Christmas and the next thirty days in the hospital. Ryan White

When I was three days old, the doctors told my parents I was a severe hemophiliac, meaning my blood does not clot. Ryan White

While I was growing up, I had many bleeds or hemorhages in my joints which make it very painful. Ryan White

Ryan White

Before he died, he worked to educate people on the nature of HIV and AIDS, to show that it was not a “gay disease” and that, with a few precautions, it was safe to associate with people who were HIV-positive. Being outside the stigmatized “normal” groups allowed him to become a poster boy for HIV infection in North America.

Upon his death, his funeral was a standing-room-only event held at the Second Presbyterian Church on Meridian Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. Services and burial were attended by many celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Phil Donahue, Judith Light, and Sir Elton John. Elton John performed “Skyline Pigeon” at the funeral and trained the Hamilton Heights High School choir to sing at Ryan’s funeral, according to Chris Noble, Hamilton Heights High School Fine Arts Department Head. Ryan is buried in Cicero, close to the home of his mother, Jeanne.

In 1990, Congress enacted The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act or Ryan White Care Act, the United States’ largest federally funded program (excluding Medicaid and Medicare) for the care of those living with HIV and AIDS. The program has been continuously funded since it began and in 2005 is expected to total approximately $2.2 billion dollars per year. Updated figures suggest a higher total, approximately $2.5 billion in 2006. The Ryan White CARE Act provides medical and psychosocial services to those living with HIV/AIDS. According to Karen Blake, town of Cicero manager, there is an annual AIDS walk in his home town of Cicero to benefit his AIDS foundation.

Michael Jackson, who was a close friend of Ryan’s, dedicated the song “Gone Too Soon” from his Dangerous album to Ryan. 80′s pop star Tiffany dedicated the song “Here in My Heart” to Ryan White on her “New Inside” album (1990) and wrote in the booklet: “I just hope that God has plans to bless the world with more people like Ryan White.”

 

Reaction From The World:

The New York Times

Ryan White Dies of AIDS at 18; His Struggle Helped Pierce Myths

April 8, 1990, Monday By DIRK JOHNSON, SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES (NYT); Obituary Late Edition - Final, Section D, Page 10, Column 1, 1163 words

DISPLAYING FIRST 50 OF 1163 WORDS -LEAD:

Ryan White, the Indiana teen-ager who put the face of a child on AIDS and served as a leader for gaining greater understanding and compassion for those with the deadly disease, died today. He was 18 years old. Ryan White, the Indiana teen-ager who put the face of…

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CNN NEWS

Saturday Morning News

CNN20: Ryan White Dies, April 8, 1990

Aired April 8, 2000 - 8:46 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In the early 1980s, CNN began a major effort to inform you about what was then the mysterious disease called AIDS.

CNN’s Chicago Bureau Chief Jeff Flock reflects on a turning point in that coverage.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Bringing you the world for 20 years, this is CNN.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Brian White was a kid that really put a human face on AIDS. Up until that point, people thought that only people who were gay or were intravenous drug users could get AIDS and a lot of people didn’t care about the disease. He was somebody who made people care, unfortunately because he just looked like any other kid.

He was a kid, for one, and he wasn’t a drug user. He wasn’t gay. He was just a normal kid from a normal town yet he got AIDS. One of the saddest lessons on Ryan White’s death is that for now no one beats AIDS.

It was such an unusual thing for a middle class kid without any other characteristics to get the disease that people couldn’t believe it and Michael Jackson befriended Ryan White. And Elton John became his pal. I remember that at the Farm Aid concert, there was a Farm Aid concert and Elton John performed “Candle In the Wind” as a tribute to Ryan White.

ELTON JOHN: This one’s for Ryan.

FLOCK: Long before Princess Diana, “Candle In the Wind” for Ryan White, and the next day Ryan died.

DR. MARTIN KLEIMAN: It is with great sadness and deeply felt personal loss that I must inform you that Ryan White has died of the complications of his AIDS.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Regional Speakers’ Bureau

Voices From Across America

The Ryan White CARE Act serves more than 500,000 people each year. It is the federal government’s largest program specifically for people living with HIV disease. Here are the stories of just a few of the people directly impacted by this Act.

• Jonathan S. Appelbaum, Physician, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
• Wayne Bockmon, Physician, Houston, Texas
• Judith Feinberg, Physician, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Jason Flamm, Physician, Sacramento, Calif.
• Kathy Hall, Physician Assistant, Billings, Mo.
• Margaret Hoffman-Terry, Physician, Allentown, Pa.
• Carrie Jeffries, Nurse Practitioner, Palo Alto, Calif.
• Bethsheba Johnson, Nurse Practitioner, Chicago, Ill.
• Wendy Leonard, Physician, Santa Cruz, Calif.
• Michelle Lopez, Patient Treatment Administrator, Bronx, N.Y.
• Robert Macomber, Physician Assistant, Waterloo, N.Y.
• Alice Myerson, Nurse Practitioner, Bronx, N.Y.
• Carlos A. Perez, Patient, Rapid HIV Testing Program Manager, Chicago, Ill.
• Mary Lynn Purcell, Nurse, Decatur, Ga.
• Donna Sweet, Physician, Wichita, Kan.
• Joel Wesley Thompson, Physician Assistant, Charlotte, N.C.
• Aimee Wilkin, Physician, Winston-Salem, N.C.

The Ryan White CARE Act, expired on Sept. 30, 2005.

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We Miss You Ryan……..