AIDS will steal the breath of a child just a quickly as it silences the voice of a gay rights activist.
Hemophilia predominantly strikes males.
Consequently, victims of the HIV-tainted plasma largely were husbands, fathers and young boys. Adult hemophiliacs found themselves unable to support their families or maintain health insurance. Parents struggled to care for their HIV-infected sons. Faced with a loss of income and the expense of treating both hemophilia and HIV, this tragedy exacted a significant emotional and financial toll on these men and their families. In response to this public tragedy, in 1998 Congress established the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund.