On December 17, 1984, I had surgery to remove two inches of my left lung due to pneumonia. After two hours of surgery the doctors told my mother I had AIDS.
From Ryan White
My name is Ryan White. I am sixteen years old. I have hemophilia, and I have AIDS.
Eventually, I won the right to attend school, but the prejudice was still there.
I believe in myself as I look forward to graduating from Hamilton Heights High School in 1991.
Twice a week I would receive injections or IV's of Factor VIII which clotted the blood and then broke it down.
Most recently my battle has been against AIDS and the discrimination surrounding it.
Listening to medical facts was not enough. People wanted one hundred percent guarantees.
A lot of my time was spent searching, thinking and planning my life.
Even at church, people would not shake my hand.
Financial hardships were rough on us, even though Mom had a good job at G.M.
4 perspectives
3 perspectives
2 perspectives
1 perspectives