I was labeled a troublemaker, my mom an unfit mother, and I was not welcome anywhere.

Given six months to live and being the fighter that I am, I set high goals for myself.

Twice a week I would receive injections or IV's of Factor VIII which clotted the blood and then broke it down.

Rumors of sneezing, kissing, tears, sweat, and saliva spreading AIDS caused people to panic.

Because of the lack of education on AIDS, discrimination, fear, panic, and lies surrounded me.

Mayor Koch, of New York, was the first public figure to give me support.

Most recently my battle has been against AIDS and the discrimination surrounding it.

Eventually, I won the right to attend school, but the prejudice was still there.

I was labeled a troublemaker, my mom an unfit mother, and I was not welcome anywhere.

My family and I held no hatred for those people because we realized they were victims of their own ignorance.

I received thousands of letters of support from all around the world, all because I wanted to go to school.

My studies are important to me. I made the honor role just recently, with 2 A's and 2 B's.

Listening to medical facts was not enough. People wanted one hundred percent guarantees.

The first five to six years of my life were spent in and out of the hospital.

We began a series of court battles for nine months, while I was attending classes by telephone.

Entertainers, athletes, and stars started giving me support.

How could these people in the public eye not be afraid of me, but my whole town was?

This brought on the news media, TV crews, interviews, and numerous public appearances.

I came face to face with death at thirteen years old.

AIDS can destroy a family if you let it, but luckily for my sister and me, Mom taught us to keep going. Don't give up, be proud of who you are, and never feel sorry for yourself.

I believe in myself as I look forward to graduating from Hamilton Heights High School in 1991.

We had great faith that with patience, understanding, and education, that my family and I could be helpful in changing their minds and attitudes around.

People would get up and leave so they would not have to sit anywhere near me.

My name is Ryan White. I am sixteen years old. I have hemophilia, and I have AIDS.

Even at church, people would not shake my hand.

Financial hardships were rough on us, even though Mom had a good job at G.M.

A lot of my time was spent searching, thinking and planning my life.

On December 17, 1984, I had surgery to remove two inches of my left lung due to pneumonia. After two hours of surgery the doctors told my mother I had AIDS.

The desire to move into a bigger house, to avoid living AIDS daily, and a dream to be accepted by a community and school, became possible and a reality with a movie about my life, The Ryan White Story.

I'm just one of the kids, and all because the students at Hamilton Heights High School listened to the facts, educated their parents and themselves, and believed in me.

The school I was going to said they had no guidelines for a person with AIDS.

My mom moved up between Leland and Greenville when I was just a little tot.

My mom took me to see Carnal Knowledge and The Wild Bunch and all these kind of movies when I was a kid.

Depending on what day of the week it is and what time of the month it is, I'm a good friend or not a good friend. I'm more or less a good mom or not a good mom, more or less a good mate or not a good mate. That's just life, whether or not you're public.

When you are getting ready to become a mom, being in love with someone just isn't enough. You need to think about whether he would be a good parent and raise your children with similar beliefs.

I was a hyper kid in school and the teacher suggested to my mom she needed to do something with me.

My mom put me in a Pampers commercial on TV.

Mom ran the house, so we grew up Portuguese.

I love those hockey moms. You know what they say the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull is? Lipstick.

My mom doesn't get the whole gay thing, but she loves me.

I sing seriously to my mom on the phone. To put her to sleep, I have to sing "Maria" from West Side Story. When I hear her snoring, I hang up.

My mom and dad met at UCLA when he as a captain in the Air Force and she was in her junior year.

My memory of my mom is a wine glass in one hand and a cigarette in the other. She was a runway fashion model, and she was quite a glamorous woman.

Mom and Dad would stay in bed on Sunday morning, but the kids would have to go to church.

My mom used to say that Greek Easter was later because then you get stuff cheaper.

I was always a drama queen. I remember playing in the kitchen, trying to get my mom to think I was dead and call the police. When she didn't, I would cry. I was always theatrical. I don't think any of my relatives are surprised.

I'm talking like 10, 12 years old. Either junior brings Mom and Pop or Mom and Pop bring the kids. I'm talking young here, not a college drinking crowd.

There is nothing better than being a parent. It is the most challenging job one could ever ask for. I love being a mom and I love being a friend to my children as well.

With my new venture, Club Mom, we want to empower moms to feel their value and also build their collective power to make their lives better and easier. We want to bring them together as a community to share experiences and information.