Ryan White was diagnosed with AIDS in 1984 at the age of 13 after he received a tainted blood treatment for hemophilia.. At that time, AIDS was poorly understood, and despite doctors having said he posed no risk to other students, many parents and teachers rallied against his attendance when Ryan tried to return to school. A lengthy legal battle with the school system ensued, and media coverage of the case made Ryan into a national celebrity and spokesman for AIDS research and public education.

In the late 80’s, Michael Jackson reached out to Ryan and befriended him. Ryan visited Neverland regulary and they both shared a special bond. Michael gave Ryan his favorite car, a red Mustang, as a gift a year before he died.

Ryan White died at age 18 on April 8, 1990, 20 years ago today.

Read more

Following the violent earthquake that hit Haiti last week, Make That Change has decided to create a fundraising team on the UNICEF website for all the Michael Jackson fans who want to come together and help the victims of this terrible earthquake: Team Michael.

The effort is critical in Haiti, where almost half the population is under 18 years of age. UNICEF is there to help save children by providing health care, water and sanitation, and adequate nutrition.

UNICEF is also there to bring immediate protection to children who have been abandoned or separated from their families. And UNICEF works to get children back to school as soon as possible, to help them recover from the psychological distress associated with emergencies.

Life-saving supplies and equipment are already arriving to help ease the suffering of a people whose history is already too full of hardship. Getting those supplies to the children and families who desperately need them is UNICEF’s highest priority.

Team Michael is a UNICEF fundraising team for the relief efforts in Haiti. This team was created by and for Michael Jackson fans to continue helping those in need during this crisis.

Read more

(CNN) — A major earthquake struck southern Haiti on Tuesday, knocking down buildings and power lines and inflicting what its ambassador to the United States called a catastrophe for the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation.

Several eyewitnesses reported heavy damage and bodies in the streets of the capital, Port-au-Prince, where concrete-block homes line steep hillsides. There was no estimate of the dead and wounded Tuesday evening, but the U.S. State Department has been told to expect “serious loss of life,” department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters in Washington.

The magnitude 7.0 quake — the most powerful to hit Haiti in a century — struck shortly before 5 p.m. and was centered about 10 miles (15 kilometers) southwest of Port-au-Prince, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. It could be felt strongly in eastern Cuba, more than 200 miles away, witnesses said.

Because of the earthquake’s proximity to the capital, and because the city is densely populated and has poorly constructed housing, “it could cause significant casualties,” said Jian Lin, a senior geologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts.

(more on CNN.com)

Help the people of Haiti by donating to one of the following organizations:

United States

• American Red Cross – Text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to American Red Cross relief for Haiti.
• Yéle Haiti – Text “YELE” to 501501 to donate $5 to Wyclef Jean’s foundation for relief in Haiti.
• UNICEF USA – Visit www.unicefusa.org/haitiquake to help the children of Haiti who are victim of the earthquake.
• Doctors Without Borders – All their facilities were devastated by the earthquake, but they are still trying to treat hundreds of injured people. They need all our support.
• More ways to help the people of Haiti.

International - Donate online by visiting the Red Cross, UNICEF or Doctors Without Borders websites of your country. You can also donate to Yéle Haiti from anywhere in the world. Follow @MichaelsChange on Twitter for more information on your country.

Please spread the word. Share and retweet this post. Thank you!