REMEMBER RYAN WHITE

Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the day 13 year old Ryan White got thrown out of school because he was infected with HIV. White had been diagnosed just six months before, and had been given only six months to live. As it finally turned out, Ryan lived to be 18 and passed from this world one month before he would have graduated high school.

Ryan was a native Indianan as am I. He was born in Kokomo and spent the majority of his short life there. He died in Indianapolis, where coincidentally I was born. 

Ryan was a hemophiliac; commonly known as a "bleeder"; and contracted HIV - then commonly called AIDS - from a tainted blood product. But in 1985 people were scared and many were fearful that AIDS could be transmitted via sneezing and coughing. And in a darker vein, crackpots believed that one had to be homosexual to catch the disease and believed that Ryan was gay and receiving "God's punishment in his body". A year-long court battle ensued, and Ryan was finally permitted to attend school again. 

That didn't end Ryan's battle. It was only the beginning. He was required to use separate restrooms and "excused" from gym with its requirement to shower with the other boys. He was also treated as a pariah by many. His story became national news. His family ultimately decided to move elsewhere when some ignoramus fired a bullet into his home in the dead of night.

The family moved to Cicero, Indiana where people were more educated and accepting. He quickly became an international celebrity and a spokesman for victims of his disease. Michael Jackson gave him a 1968 Mustang, Elton John lent his mother money for a down-payment for a house in Cicero and donated the re-payment to Ryan's sister's college fund. 

But Ryan always was emphatic that he would have very happily given up all this to be free of his disease. 

He contributed so much to the erasure of the ignorance and fear surrounding this poorly understood and feared virus. And he suffered so greatly. The actions of the people of Kokomo made me almost ashamed to be a native Indianan.

Ryan White made me proud to be a native of Indiana again.

At some point in this controversy the Washington City Paper wrote an article about Ryan and his struggle. In response I wrote a letter to the editor. An excerpt:

"And through all this, this brave young Hoosier displays the qualities of our finest young men, smiling and taking the blows of the disease and the harassment and court battles seemingly in stride. 

The Flag of the State of Indiana is a torch aflame surrounded by stars. The torch is Hope piercing the darkness of ignorance and despair. And the highest star today belongs to Ryan White."

I hope I meet you in Heaven, Ryan.