When Ryan tried to return to school, he was expelled and faced severe AIDS-related discrimination in his Indiana community, despite the fact that HIV is not transmitted through casual contact. Along with his mother Jeanne White Ginder, he rallied for his right to attend school.

His case garnered national attention, and Ryan became the face of public education about AIDS, working with celebrities like Elton John and Michael Jackson to combat the stigma surrounding the disease. He testified before the President's Commission on the HIV Epidemic and helped increase public awareness.

White's story helped shift public perception of AIDS from being falsely viewed as a disease affecting only gay men to one that could impact anyone. Surprising his doctors, Ryan lived five years longer than expected. He passed away in April of 1990, one month before his high school graduation, but the impact of his activism continued. In August of that same year, Congress passed the Ryan White CARE Act, which continues to provide critical funding for HIV/AIDS care, treatment, and support services in the U.S. This funding directly supports our clients living with HIV/AIDS here at the Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation.