Ryan Wayne White, born a hemophiliac in 1971, became infected with HIV from a contaminated blood treatment. He was diagnosed in December of 1984 and given six months to live. Doctors said he posed no risk to other students, but AIDS was poorly understood at the time, and when White tried to return to school, many parents and teachers in Kokomo, Indiana rallied against his attendance. A lengthy legal battle with the school system ensued, and media coverage of the case made White into a national celebrity and spokesman for AIDS research and public education.