White spoke about AIDS

Twenty-five years ago this week, Jeanne White, the mother of AIDS victim Ryan White, visited Jay County.

The Sept. 15, 1995, edition of The Commercial Review featured a story about White’s visit to speak about her son and others diagnosed with AIDS. She spoke to a group of about 200 at Jay County High School.

The event was sponsored by the Jay County AIDS Task Force.

Ryan was a hemophiliac who contracted AIDS after being infected with HIV via contaminated medication.

“Little did we know that one (blood) donor could infect the whole batch (of medication) … Little did we know that the drug that was saving his life was taking his life,” said Jeanne White. “When Ryan was diagnosed, from that time on my life changed.”

White shared stories of learning about the virus and initially thinking she was less educated about it than most. During Ryan’s five-year battle with AIDS, she discovered how little the public understood the disease as her son and family were subject to discrimination. That included being banned from attending school in Kokomo.

“If you don’t know about something you’re going to be afraid of it,” White said. “That’s why we need to educate people.”

At the time of her visit, White was director of the Ryan White Foundation with a focus on AIDS education. She spoke at the University of Arizona the day before her visit to Jay County.

She appealed to those in attendance to talk to their children about AIDS.

“This disease kills young people,” she said.