AIDS awareness, education brings Ryan White’s mother to IU Northwest

AIDS awareness was the focus of an initiative—part of IU Northwest’s year-long Diversity Programming Series—that brought both the AIDS Memorial Quilt and Ryan White’s mother, Jeanne White-Ginder, to campus. White-Ginder joined the campus and community to discuss the killer virus and the isolation it creates. The recent author of Weeding Out the Tears, she spoke about her son’s courageous fight against AIDS and the prejudice the illness breeds. Her story began just one week before Christmas in 1984 when she learned her son Ryan, a hemophiliac, had contacted AIDS from a tainted blood product. Although the doctors gave Ryan only six months to live, the 13-year-old remained positive and was determined to live a relatively normal life. White-Ginder’s story of Ryan’s bravery through isolation, abuse and international fame took the audience through the years of Ryan’s life after his AIDS diagnosis. In 1990, Ryan died with his mother and family friend Elton John at his side. In tribute to Ryan White and others who have died from the AIDS virus, the AIDS Memorial Quilt was on display through May 11 in the IUN Gallery for Contemporary Art.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt has more than 44,000 colorful panels memorializing the lives of those who have died of AIDS.

The Diversity Programming Group, an initiative of the Office of the Chancellor, has brought diversity programs to campus throughout the school year. Topics have dealt with gender and sexual orientation discussions as well as programming related to African-American, French, Japanese, Latino and Native American culture and history.

http://www.indiana.edu/campus/iu-northwest.html