Jeanne White-Ginder, mother of Ryan White and national advocate for people living with HIV and AIDS, will speak at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009, as part of the College’s Four-Star Series. The time and location of the speech will be announced at a later date. The event is being co-sponsored by the SMWC Student Senate, which is coordinating Health Awareness Week at SMWC Feb. 9-12.

In 1984, 13-year-old Ryan White became infected through a tainted hemophilia treatment. His story gained national exposure after being expelled from school because of his infection. Throughout a lengthy legal battle with the school board, Ryan quickly became a national spokesperson for AIDS research and education, and in the process, he opened the hearts and minds of millions of people. He was, as Ted Koppel described him on Nightline, “an extraordinary young man; brave, tolerant, and wise beyond his years.”

Although Ryan lost his fight to the disease in 1990, his memory lives on through a major piece of legislation known as the Ryan White CARE Act, the largest federally funded program for people living with HIV/AIDS. His mom, Jeanne, continues to dedicate herself to Ryan’s dream of easing the stigma and discrimination faced by so many people with HIV/AIDS, speaking to a vast array of audiences about her family’s experience and the role that Ryan played in opening so many hearts and minds.

For more information about Jeanne White-Ginder’s speech at SMWC or upcoming events in the College’s Four-Star Series, contact Jeff Malloy, director of campus life, at 812-535-5219 or jmalloy@smwc.edu. More information about Ryan White can be found online at www.ryanwhite.com.