Ryan White: My Own Story
Ryan White and Ann Marie Cunningham
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
1984–1990 · Kokomo and Cicero, Indiana
Ryan White
Public health & patient rights
Photo credit
Wildhartlivie at English Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0. Cropped/resized. Adaptations use the same license.Photographs are cropped to fit. Photo dates and original images are available through the source credits.
Diagnosed with AIDS at 13 in 1984 after receiving contaminated blood products for hemophilia, Ryan White faced exclusion from school and widespread fear of HIV. His effort to return to the classroom made him a national advocate against stigma. He died in 1990; the federal HIV care program named for him began that year.
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The Story
When1984–1990
WhereKokomo and Cicero, Indiana
In this collection5 resources
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Choose a book, screen story or audio episode from this case’s collection.
The Ryan White Story (1989)
John Herzfeld · Lukas Haas · 1989
A dramatized interpretation; compare it with the reporting.
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Where are they now?
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Nicknames & media names
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Family Tree
The family relationships behind the story, gathered in one place.
Selected relationships only—not a complete genealogy. A family connection does not imply involvement in a crime.
FAMILY SNAPSHOT
Parents
- Jeanne White Ginder
Ryan White
Siblings
- Andrea White
This snapshot focuses on the family members who publicly share Ryan’s story through the museum.
Sources & Further Reading
About These Family Trees
These original diagrams summarize relationships reported by the linked sources. Community genealogy sites can contain errors and are not proof of identity or parentage. Full trees or record images may require an account. We omit speculative relationships, private contact details and unrelated living descendants.
Sources reviewed September 15, 2026. Suggest a sourced correction.
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Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
From the journal
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Blogs & essays
1 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
Health Resources and Services Administration
Ryan White’s story
Official biography documenting his diagnosis, advocacy and the program that bears his name.
Outside CommentaryAccess Varies · Check Source
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Books
CONTINUE YOUR READING
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Books
1 itemsRyan White and Ann Marie Cunningham
Ryan White: My Own Story
Ryan’s autobiographical account of illness, school exclusion and public advocacy. Publisher information and editions.
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Movies & TV
Movies
1 itemsAbout these sources
Watch links, previews and title listings are identified below. Rentals or subscriptions may be required.
John Herzfeld · Lukas Haas · 1989
The Ryan White Story (1989)
Television dramatization of Ryan’s struggle to attend school. IMDb provides cast and film information; this link is not a full-film stream.
Fiction / DramatizationTitle Details · Not Playback
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Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
TV & documentaries
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Audiobooks
Listen to a book connected to this story. Each edition below is matched to its author and audiobook source.
Audiobook
Ryan White
Abridged
Audio edition verified at the linked source. The Amazon button is a title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed.
Edition checked 2026-10-12
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Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
John Herzfeld · Lukas Haas · 1989
The Ryan White Story (1989)
Television dramatization of Ryan’s struggle to attend school. IMDb provides cast and film information; this link is not a full-film stream.
Fiction / DramatizationTitle Details · Not Playback
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
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Podcasts
Podcasts
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Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Where would you start?
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Talk about sources and storytelling with care for the people affected. A documentary, a book and a court record serve different purposes.
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News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
3 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
hoopla · Library Access
Love Is the Cure — Elton John (Audiobook)
A broader account of AIDS advocacy that includes Elton John’s friendship with Ryan White; not a standalone biography of White. Borrowing requires a participating library account; your library determines availability.
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Google Books · Catalog / Availability
The Life and Death of Ryan White
Related book record. Google may offer selected pages or another edition; full-book access is not confirmed.
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Google Books · Catalog / Availability
Ryan White: My Own Story — Ryan White & Ann Marie Cunningham
White’s memoir describes living with HIV/AIDS and confronting school exclusion and discrimination. Edition record; available pages vary by region and edition.
View Catalog & Access Options ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, hoopla, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
1 itemsTIME · 2015
How Ryan White changed America’s view of AIDS
Retrospective reporting on HIV stigma and Ryan’s public impact. Publisher access conditions may apply.
JournalismAccess Varies · Check Source
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Newspaper clippings
0 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
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Internet Archive
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
No accessible court document has been verified for this case yet.
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Roads Traveled
Roads Traveled
Open case map →Kokomo and Cicero, Indiana. The map provides regional context; individually verified historical places are listed below.
Where this story happened
Kokomo and Cicero, Indiana
Highlighted states show regional context, not exact addresses. Ontario and regions outside the contiguous U.S. are listed by name.
Explore the interactive case atlas →Boundaries: Natural Earth · public domain
Location research & source notes
This case was added after the September 14 map-source review and has not yet been checked against those sources.
Museum exhibit
The Power of Children: Ryan White’s story
Indianapolis, Indiana
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis presents Ryan White’s story in The Power of Children exhibit, including his experience confronting discrimination.
Planning a visit
Explore This Place →Public museum with admission requirements. Check the museum’s current exhibit schedule and visitor information before traveling.
Sources reviewed September 14, 2026. Check access information before traveling.
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
1 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
Enacted federal law · HRSA
1990: Ryan White CARE Act
Congress established the Ryan White CARE Act in 1990. Today’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program supports care and treatment; the official program site explains its purpose and history.
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Social Media
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