Ryan Wayne White

Ryan White

My hero is Ryan White. Ryan White was a boy who had AIDS. He was born in Kokomo, Indiana on December 6, 1971. Three days after he was born the doctors found out Ryan was a hemophiliac (a blood disorder) and had to use Factor VIII which he received twice a week. On December 17, 1984 he had to have surgery to remove two inches of his left lung. After the surgery the doctors found out that he had contracted AIDS, and gave him six months to live.

Ryan White was a fighter and lived longer than those six months. He tried living a normal life, but in 1985 not may people knew the truth about AIDS. The school he went to would not let him attend school and the town was not very supportive. After battling, Ryan was able to attend school, but the people were still not very welcoming towards him. Students wrote a derogatory term on his locker, restaurants threw away dishes when he left, and even a bullet was fired at his home.

Even though Ryan was friends with many stars like Elton John and Michael Jackson, he still wanted friends his own age that he could hang out with. Ryan and his family moved to Cicero, Indiana and were very welcomed there. The people of Cicero were educated about AIDS and how people could get AIDS. Ryan was happy because he had friends, his family, and because he was turning an incurable disease into a way to educate America. Ryan White died on April 8, 1990, having survived more than 5 years when the doctors had told him he only had 6 months to live.

Ryan White and his mother (askgeeves.com)

Before he died, Ryan educated many Americans about the real story of AIDS. He even appeared on television shows like The Good Morning Show, CBS Morning News, Nightline, and more. Ryan was also on the front covers of the Saturday Evening Post, Picture Week, and People Magazine as his life told the real story of AIDS. He made a big difference in his 18 years of life.

Ryan White is important to me because even when sick he went out and told many kids about AIDS and spoke out the truth about it. Ryan White has made a difference in my life because he helped teach me the importance of going out and telling the truth to everyone, even people you don’t know.