HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RYAN!
December 6, 2013; Posted by: webleed staff
Today, 42 years ago a young hemophiliac named Ryan White was born. As a teenager he was thrown into the national spot light after being expelled from his middle school for having contracted AIDS via a contaminated blood treatment.
Ryan White and his mom courageously fought AIDS-related discrimination and helped educate the Nation about his disease.
Ryan White was diagnosed with AIDS at age 13. Ryan fought for his right to attend school, gaining international attention as a voice of reason about HIV/AIDS. At the age of 18, Ryan passed away just months before Congress passed the AIDS bill that bears his name – the Ryan White CARE (Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency) Act. The legislation, now called the “Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, has since been reauthorized four times – in 1996, 2000, 2006, and 2009.
Happy Birthday to a Hero!
Further reading: About Ryan White (Health & Human Services); Ryan White (Wikipedia)
