Ryan White (1971-1990)

Ryan Wayne White (December 6, 1971 to April 8, 1990) was an American teenager from Kokomo, Indiana, who became a national symbol in the HIV/AIDS crisis. A hemophiliac, he was infected with HIV through a contaminated Factor VIII blood treatment and was diagnosed with AIDS in December 1984. Although doctors confirmed he posed no risk to classmates, his school barred him from attending, and he and his family fought a public legal battle for his right to an education. His courage helped humanize the epidemic and challenge fear and misinformation. He died in April 1990, months before high school graduation. That August, Congress passed the Ryan White CARE Act, still the largest U.S. federal program funding care for people living with HIV/AIDS.