Ryan Lewis Reveals His Mom Has HIV, Launches Charity With Macklemore
GRAMMY-winning producer Ryan Lewis—of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis—has revealed that his mother has been living with HIV for the last 30 years. This revelation comes as he launches a new AIDS/HIV charity with his mother, Julie Lewis, dubbed the 30/30 Project.
On the project's website, Lewis says his mother contracted the virus through a blood transfusion in 1984 while giving birth to his older sister, Teresa. "When she was finally diagnosed, she was given only a few years to live. By that time, she had already given birth to two other children, Laura and myself. We each had a 25% chance of being born HIV+, but we were both extremely fortunate (today, the risk of a mother passing HIV to her baby is 2% or less if she is being treated)," Lewis wrote. "To honor the 30 years Julie has been a survivor, the Lewis family is raising funds to build health centers worldwide that will stand strong for at least 30 years."
Donations are being solicited through Indie GoGo and at the time of writing, they've raised nearly $10,000.
Check out the 30/30 Project's "official video" below:
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