AIDS campaigner Ryan White dies

Title

AIDS campaigner Ryan White dies

Genre

News report; Interview; Speech; Music

TX Date

9 Apr 1990

Year of production

1990

Play audio

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Duration

00:02:41

Description

Ryan White, an 18 year-old American haemophiliac who contracted AIDS through a contaminated blood transfusion, has died after his five-year fight with the disease. He also had to fight in the courtroom for 9 months after being banned from classes because it was feared other children might catch the disease. His doctor, Martin Plyman, praises Ryan for focusing on the fight against the disease rather than the patient, a sentiment shared by Indiana’s former top public health official Woodrow Myers, who credits Ryan’s fight with changing the laws in their state of Indiana. President George Bush, Michael Jackson and Elton John have also paid tribute (the latter, here, with music) to Ryan. Paul Woodley reports.

Contributors

Paul Woodley; Elton John; Ryan White; Martin Plyman; Woodrow Myers

Keywords

USA; Deaths; Legislation; Legal procedure; Elton John; AIDS; Law reform; Michael Jackson; Awareness-raising campaigns; Haemophilia; George H. W. Bush; Ryan White; Indiana

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