INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is sharing the story of one Indiana boy’s bravery in the face of the AIDS epidemic, and how it impacted his small Indiana community and beyond. 

Ryan White was born in Kokomo in December 1971, and when he was 13, Ryan was diagnosed with AIDS after a blood transfusion.

After his diagnosis, he faced much AIDS-related discrimination from his community, but used his voice to fight against fear and misinformation surrounding HIV/AIDS. Most famously, he became an inspiration for his fight to continue going to school.

AJ Morrison with the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis told News 8 that Ryan’s story is particularly unique because of its local connection.

“They were in Kokomo and then moved to Cicero. He went to Hamilton Heights High School, where he was welcomed by the students there,” he said.

The museum’s exhibit shows part of Ryan’s bedroom on display. The more than 500 artifacts from Ryan’s life help tell the story of his struggle with AIDS, his fight to attend school, and the great accomplishments he achieved before his death in April 1990.

“It just helps kids realize that anybody can really make a difference, and in Ryan’s case, standing up and speaking out against bullying and HIV/Aids,” Morrison said.

Along with the exhibit, Ryan’s mother and sister, Jeanne White Ginder and Andrea White, hosted a series of talks at the museum.

Sunday’s conversation runs from noon to 2 p.m., and will be structured like an informal conversation in Ryan’s bedroom. Listeners will be able to hear firsthand stories of how Ryan’s bravery impacted their family and several Indiana communities.

A formal presentation will take place after from 2 – 2:45 p.m. Museum leaders add that topics discussed in the conversations about Ryan may be difficult for young children.

The exhibit and Ryan’s room will be showcased inside The Power of Children: Making a Difference on level 3 of the museum.

For more information on these talks and White’s story, visit the museum’s website.  

News 8’s Michaela Springer contributed to this report.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Our quiet weekend continues here in Indiana with a sunny Sunday. However, on the horizon we are watching Tropical Storm Beryl closely for the rain it will bring to Indiana midweek.

TODAY: Another fantastic day to close out the weekend. Mostly sunny skies with high temperatures in the mid to upper 80s.

TONIGHT: Mostly clear skies. Low temperatures in the mid to upper 60s.

TOMORROW: Plenty of sunshine to start off. Clouds gradually increase throughout the day. High temperatures near 90 degrees. 

8-DAY FORECAST: Tropical Storm Beryl will likely strengthen into a hurricane before making landfall in Texas Monday morning. Soaking rain is looking possible from the remnants of Beryl for late Tuesday into Wednesday here in Indiana. Just northwest of the system track will likely see the heaviest rain in a potential swath of 2-4″.

Depending on how fast the remnants of the storm are moving, Indiana could still see some small rain chances into Thursday. Friday into next weekend is looking dry and nice.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Pacers announced on Saturday that forward Obi Toppin is staying in Indy.

The blue and gold revealed that it has signed Toppin to a new deal. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, per team policy.

Late last month, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Toppin intended to sign a four-year, $60 million deal with the Pacers.

“Obi Toppin embraced our city, our team, and his role from the moment he arrived, and then proved time and again to be an integral part of the success we achieved last season in reaching the Eastern Conference Finals,” Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard said in a news release. “Obi’s style of play, selfless attitude, and work ethic are all consistent with the culture we’ve built here, and we’re confident he will play a key role for us moving forward.”

Toppin entered this year’s free agency period as a restricted free agent.

He averaged 10.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game during the regular season, his first year in Indiana. Those numbers were the best of his career.

He also played in the most regular season games of any Pacers player this year, seeing action in 82 games.

After the 2023-24 season ended, Pacers General Manager Chad Buchanan was asked about Toppin’s performance.

“I thought Obi had a tremendous year for us,” Buchanan said. “He brings a lot of things that we look for in qualities in a person. He loves being in the gym. He loves being part of a team. Brings a great attitude, a great smile, a great infectious energy every day, which adds to your culture and adds to the vibe of your team.”

Toppin was the eighth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Saturday was the first day that NBA teams could officially begin signing free agents.