Mayor Koch, of New York, was the first public figure to give me support.
People would get up and leave so they would not have to sit anywhere near me.
Rumors of sneezing, kissing, tears, sweat, and saliva spreading AIDS caused people to panic.
Eventually, I won the right to attend school, but the prejudice was still there.
I'm just one of the kids, and all because the students at Hamilton Heights High School listened to the facts, educated their parents and themselves, and believed in me.
I received thousands of letters of support from all around the world, all because I wanted to go to school.