Ryan White

Ryan was a typical 13-year-old when it was discovered that he had contracted AIDS through tainted blood products he had been given for his hemophilia. Denied the right to return to school, he went to court. Newspaper headlines followed the many legal battles and although Ryan won the court case, his own fight had just begun. In this personal account, Ryan tells about his struggle. With great courage, he began to speak out against the many misconceptions about the disease and called for AIDS sufferers to be treated with compassion. Celebrities like Michael Jackson and Elton John became his friends. And, much to his chagrin, Ryan, a modest and somewhat shy boy, became a celebrity, too. Ryan White died on April 8, 1990, at the age of 18. His mother, Jeanne White, spurred on by her son, is continuing his fight.