Stephanie Ray
Encyclopedia
Biography
[Stephanie Ray] was born with AIDS. Her father and mother separated when she was young. Her mother had contracted the mortal virus during a transfusionBlood transfusion
Blood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...
, and she died in 1992.
As a ten year old girl, Stephanie made a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
AIDS infomercial that was broadcast across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She gained nationwide fame with her "You don't have to be afraid of me" phrase.
That same year, in Vancouver, British Columbia, doctors held a conference announcing a combination of three drugs that help reduce HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
concentration and the risks of other HIV and AIDS complications. Stephanie Ray was among the first patients to try these drugs.
In 1998, she moved to Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
from Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
with her father. Soon, she was put on a foster home because of possible child abuse and alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
ism problems held by her father. In 2000, however, she made headlines again, as she returned to Arizona, to visit her aunt, Cathy Stelter. She refused to move back to Wisconsin, causing a court-room controversy. Child right advocates were of the opinion that the case demonstrated that children should have more power in court custody decisions.
Stephanie flew back to Wisconsin soon afterwards, but it was agreed by officials in the mid-western state that if her father violated some court-ordered conditions, she would be returned to Arizona.
In April 2001, Stephanie Ray returned to Arizona, where she currently lives with her aunt and family.
Stephanie Ray currently takes about 40 pills a day as part of her treatment, which have helped the virus to go undetected in her blood, although she still has AIDS. She is active in softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
and has been visited by Hillary Clinton. She has been on a few nationally televised shows, such as Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
.
Stephanie Ray aspires to become a police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
woman.