New book on Ryan White’s life to be launched in Indy

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – A new book on the life of Ryan White is set for release nearly a nearly a quarter-century after the death of the Indiana teenager who became an early face of the AIDS epidemic.

The Indiana Historical Society will host a book launch event April 1 for its new book, “The Quiet Hero: A Life of Ryan White,” written by Nelson Price.

White’s mother, Jeanne White-Ginder, and Olympic diving champion Greg Louganis, who had befriended White, will attend that downtown Indianapolis event.

White became a national figure during the AIDS scare of the 1980s after suing his Howard County school district for the right to attend classes.

He developed AIDS after receiving a tainted blood transfusion to treat his hemophilia. White died on April 8, 1990, at age 18.