Ryan White, a teenager from Kokomo, Indiana, was diagnosed with AIDS in Dec. 1984 following a blood treatment. The teenager was given only six months to live. Due to the public’s fear of contracting AIDS, Ryan was barred from attending Western Middle School in Howard County. Ryan and his mother fought the school system tooth and nail to protect Ryan’s right to an education. White’s funeral was held on April 11, 1990, at Second Presbyterian Church. This news package aired April 8, 1990. 🔗 Click

On April 8th we remember Ryan White, a young activist who became the national symbol of the AIDS crisis. White’s fight against the AIDs stigma began in 1984 after his school barred him from attending classes following his diagnosis. Born with hemophilia, he contracted HIV just after his 13th birthday from a blood transfusion. While doctors insisted he posed no risk, the community around White’s Russiaville, Indiana, school voiced concerns that Ryan may transmit HIV through casual contact. When t