INDIANAPOLIS - The boy with AIDS.
That was the name scrawled on many of the envelopes that were sent from kids around the country to the house of Ryan White. The vast majority of people sending letters to support and encourage Ryan didn’t know his address, so they simply listed Indiana or Kokomo as the location.
And yet the Kokomo post office knew exactly who the letters were meant for, and always made sure to deliver them.
Jeanne White Ginder, Ryan’s mother, said reading those letters were the highlight of Ryan’s day when he was battling both his illness and Western School Corp., which banned him from attending middle school in 1985 after learning he had been diagnosed with AIDS.
“That became Ryan’s therapy,” she said. “He couldn’t wait to go to the mailbox and get his stack of mail.”
Now, those letters will be available for the whole world to read thanks to a team of researchers and educators from The Children's Museum of Indianapolis and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Center for Digital Scholarship.
Researchers at IUPUI are scanning and digitizing around 6,000 letters Ryan received from kids around the world before his death in 1990.
Those digital copies will eventually be put online, and also turned into a new addition to the museum’s exhibit called the Power of Children, which was established in 2007 and in part highlights Ryan’s impact on what was then an unknown and terrifying disease.
Kimberly Harms, the museum’s director of public and media relations, said the museum plans to open a special kiosk inside the exhibit early next spring that will allow patrons to pursue the letters to learn how kids around world responded to Ryan’s story.
“There is all kinds of research and archives out there about AIDS as a disease, but nothing really from the perspective of a teenager or a child,” she said. “This really opens up a whole new window for children who might be facing a devastating illness or other challenges.”
Jeanne, who was at the museum Friday to speak to kids about her son and promote the new project, said Ryan began receiving letters from supporters shortly after the news broke that Western had banned him from attending school.
As the story gained national attention, more and more letters started pouring in.
One example came from writer who signed his letter “Anonymous.”
“Ryan, I just want you to know that I think you are an inspiration to all people!” the letter read. “Your courage is great and strong. You should be proud of yourself for making people more educated about AIDS. I look ahead to my teaching career with less anxiety about teaching children with AIDS thanks to you.”
When Ryan was featured on the cover of People magazine, the number of letters showing up at their house exploded. Jeanne said up to 60 hand-written letters were packed into the mailbox on any given day. Many of them were addressed to the “Kid with AIDS” or misspelled his name as “Brian White.”
Jeanne said the vast majority of the letters were written by kids who were battling with their own illness or medical issues. Others told of how they were bullied at school or struggling with the divorce of their parents.
“A lot of these kids had issues themselves,” Jeanne said. “They understood what Ryan was going through, and he was helping them deal with their issues. They were just kids wanting someone to talk to who knew what they were dealing with.”
She said Ryan responded to as many letters as he could, but when the avalanche of notes became too much, a friend helped him draft a stock form letter that he could simply sign and put in the mail.
Jeanne ended up donating all the letters, along with most of Ryan’s belongings, to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis after his death. Now, the museum wants to pass along the stories told in those letters to all the kids coming to the Power of Children exhibit.
“By engaging students who are close in age to Ryan when he faced such difficult challenges, we hope to give today’s youth a voice to encourage acceptance and understanding of the extraordinary challenges faced by many,” said Jeffrey Patchen, president and CEO of the museum. “With that voice, they each have the power to transform the world.”
The project is being paid for by a $102,000 grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, and will allow researchers to study the letters and develop important themes and key areas that will speak directly to children.
Harms said scholars will use the information as part of their AIDS research, and the museum will use the letters to share Ryan’s legacy for generations to come through unique lesson plans.
The museum also is asking for the public’s help. Officials are looking for feedback from those who sent a letter, postcard or picture to Ryan in the 1980s.
Anyone who would like to participate in the project can email connect@childrensmuseum.org and include their name, contact information and anything they remember about what they sent to Ryan. Before these letters are available to the public, they will be redacted to protect the privacy of the writers with the exception of those writers who give their consent.
Jeanne said she’s excited about the project. The museum already has heard from people who had sent Ryan a letter, and she’s curious to learn how they were impacted by Ryan’s life, and what they’re up to today.
“There are a lot of kids who made a huge difference in Ryan’s life, and now we’re hearing from these kids,” Jeanne said. “It’s amazing.”