A Poster Child for AIDS Grows Into a National Spokesman

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

A Poster Child for AIDS Grows Into a National Spokesman

New York Times (07/02/97) P. D17
Richardson, Lynda

Abstract: At the age of four, Joey DiPaolo contracted HIV on May 23, 1984, when he received a tainted blood transfusion during surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. Now 17, DiPaolo has become something of a spokesman for AIDS awareness. DiPaolo gained national attention in 1992, when a television movie recounted how people protested his admission to Roy H. Mann Intermediate School in Brooklyn, where he then lived. This year, although he did not receive a diploma because he had missed so much school due to his illness and speaking engagements, DiPaolo was awarded a certificate during his Tottenville, NY, high school commencement ceremonies that said he had taught his classmates a lesson in courage. When asked about his plans to continue educating people about AIDS, DiPaolo explained, "I'm not going to run away from it. I'm not going to make it my whole life, but it's going to be a big part of it."

970702
AD971259

Copyright © 1997 - Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD. The CDC National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention provides the following information as a public service only. Providing synopses of key scientific articles and lay media reports on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis does not constitute CDC endorsement. This daily update also includes information from CDC and other government agencies, such as background on Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) articles, fact sheets, press releases and announcements. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update should be cited as the source of the information. Contact the sources of the articles abstracted below for full texts of the articles.

AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, iMetrikus, Inc., John M. Lloyd Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1997. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 1997. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .