Ryan Wayne White was, born December 6, 1971, was an American teenager from Kokomo, Indiana, who became a national poster child for HIV/AIDS in the United States after his school barred him from attending classes following a diagnosis of AIDS.
Ryan was a hemophiliac and was infected with the virus from contaminated blood. After his diagnosis, he was given six months to live.
When White tried to return to school, many parents and teachers in Howard County, Indiana, rallied against his attendance due to unwarranted concerns about the disease spreading to other students and staff.
Surprising his doctors, Ryan White lived five years longer than predicted. He died on April 8, 1990.