Today (April 8th) marks the 24th anniversary of Ryan White's passing at the age of 18 years old as a result of AIDS-related complications.
Diagnosed at 13 with AIDS, Ryan and his family faced tremendous discrimination and stigma due to society's negative perceptions of people living with HIV/AIDS.
These experiences motivated Ryan and his mother to become staunch advocates for the HIV community and other groups. Ryan died a few months before the Ryan White CARE Act was passed, but his family (in particular his mother, Jeanne White-Ginder) remained involved in HIV advocacy circles, and are proud that this important program bears his name!
Ryan's story reminds us of how far we have come. But it is also a story of advocacy, of assertiveness, of not accepting the status quo. Ryan and his mother Jeanne refused to allow people, schools, or institutions to degrade and discriminate against HIV+ individuals and their families!
Read more about Ryan here: http://www.ryanwhite.com/Ryans_Story.html
No comments:
Post a Comment