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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 9, 1992)
Former tennis star says he has AIDS virus jArthur Ashe says he got AIDS from a blood transfu sion during surgery Ni:\V YORK (AP) Arthur Ash.'. the first him k mull to win on.' of tennis (irand Shim tournaments, said Wednes cfav he flail AIDS Ashe said he lonlruit e.i it from a blood transfusion during, heart liyfwtss surgery Ashe, 4B. said he tested positive for HIV three years ago when lie underwent (train surgery hut del ided to annoum.e it now after a newspaper received .1 lip about his . ondition There also had been rumors for some time that fie fiad the condition Tlie virus has suite turned Into full blown AIDS. Ashe said "I’m not HIV positive I have AIDS. Ashe said Ashe said to have c nine forward earlier with the news could have hurt him and fils family It put me in the unenviable position to have to tie to maintain mv privet \ It Is onlv that I fall under the .■dubious umbrella of public figure he said I didn’t commit tins crime l ain not running for public ufTlt e In said I should reserve the right !« k.s-p some thing like that private At a midlonn rums i onleieiu e atl. nd ed hv his vsth Jeanne, physn uttis and NI vs 'tors May. 1 David Dink : s \sju opened by lokiiig that he had turned .i iwi an offei 1 ■■ jiomagi the \ew S :s Yankee • Hill after starting to re,id ,1 prepared statement. Ashe broke down ,in<l had to be assisted with the presentation bv Ins wife After regaining his mrnposure. Ashe said tie was healthy and ius family had shown no signs of the virus "1 am not siik I can function very well And I plan to continue doing those things that I have done all along, if the puhlii will let me," Ashe said "Nlv wife and daughter are in good health and laith an- HIV negative " Ashe also said fie had taken strength Iroin another sports star hasketfia 11 great Magu Johnson, who atmouru ed last November that he had tested positive for the AIDS virus I have also gained much insight as ! ve watt find Ivarvtn Johnson weave Ills magu among s< hooli hildren." he said l ike johnson Ashe said he would work with AIDS groups I think vs e have a tremendous oppor limits I educate the public and hope fully tiring a heightened sense of urgent \ It i I he sublet t, he said Ashe -aid In was 100 pen ent sun that he had contracted the virus from a Idnod transfusion probably tit his . md (liar! operation a double bypass m 1 Mil i, aftr-r seiundheartiilt.uk was 1H months too soon for H:\ testing it! I,loot) supplies, tie said Sire t 1 'ItiS .t. 1 blood supplies have been s< ret hed lor the AIDS virus Both the bvpas irupie bypass in : ‘Having been an athlete, I had the discipline to adjust quickly to the new reality Arthur Ashe Si Luke s Hospital in New York Ashe saul lx* did not plan to file suit Asha siiid he had re< eivod a very nil e phone tall" from President George Hush and planned to become Involved with the Presidential Commission on AIDS "ut some stage." Ashe also talked with Virginia Gov L Douglas Wilder, a childhood friend from Richmond In 1'tftH. Ashe said, ho went to doctors after my right hand went dead I could not use it at all There was a brain st an and it was not good Surgery was done, and a biopsy re vealed toxoplasmosis, which Ashe said w as a marker for AIDS I have known sini e mv brain opera lion in 1HHH that I have the virus, he said Am admission of HIV infection at ttv.it time would have seriously and per manently infringed upon our family's right to prtvui \ Asia said he had act opted the dlugno sis i! i was indergmng treatment with lie anti AIDS drug A/.'I Hav ing been an uthleti I had the dis new reatl Iv 1 was very fortunate to tolerate A/.'! ." ho said Ashe s.mi friends, family and assrx i ales who know atmut ins condition had kepi a Mient and generous conspiracy to maintain mv privacy Bui Iasi w eek, lie said. M .call to f.VA Today by an unidentified person ( hanged all that "Sometime last week someone phoned USA 7’of/av and informed the paper," he said in response to questions, Ashe said he was not angry at the paper but was upset that he found himself in a position of having to reveal his se< ret "Someone just called and ratted on me and [USA Today) felt journalistically they had to follovs It up." he said Some 1,770 AIDS cases in the United States have been attributed to blood transfusions, about 2 percent of the total Almost all those infections occurred be fore the nation's blood supply liegan be ing screened for the HIV virus m 1 <)Hr> Ashe helped gel South Africa banned from the Day is Cup because of the; na tion's apartheid policies in Mari h 107(1 Ashe said African American athletes should Use tlleir sports Slid ess to pro mole i iv 11 rights causes and took a lead ing role, addressing the United Nations Commission on Human Rights Ashe scorer) his greatest triumph m 11175 when lie i hanged his game and de iealed the seemingly invini ibie Jimmy Connors to capture Wimbledon fjV*0" S«c*» * Current IJO BookNtore Board Members 41 from left to tijt!it Lavemc Norman. Bill Adams, Vac • Aaron Baker, i>*j Sumum Fran Mller, »'*■-** a«~ ■ Shannon Kay, Sr Brian Thompson. Soc* Allison Hetoer. > Kevin Govro, > BrodyKunz, Sr Scott Dunlap, Sr Stu Thomas, r 4, *> ?• a..1 We Need People of Vision Who Want To Make A Positive Difference To Serve On Our Board. Serving on the Boaid of Directors of tlicI O Bookstore is one of the feu opportunities students have on campus to make a real dillerencc I he Hoard ol Directors establishes police lor the Bookstore and pirns lot the future of lilts non profit corporation Available 2-Year Term..Positions; 2 Sophomore Student 1 Touching Faculty or Officer of Administration Faculty • 1 (»raduate Student • 1 Classified Staff/ Management Service Personnel • 1 Student-at-1 arge Nominations will l>c taken at the Annual Meeting. i Individuals nun nominate themselves. % lor more information, contact (ieneral Manager. ^ Jim NS tlliams in person or at 346-433! I O BOOKSTORE ANNUAL MEETING Tuesday. April 14th at 3:30 in the Walnut Room, EMU (Across fn*n I hr IS Pusi Oltlct) Doctor uncertain how Ashe picked up AIDS MAI :Kl'-NV\( :k , N 1 (At’} ] he doctor wht) performed tin1 iiiMrt surgery in which Arthur A silt- believes in got tin* AIDS virus s ,n d W r d nrsil ,i v ii c doesn't know Iniw tin* former tennis star got tin- d(sense l)r John i Muir hinson said he ii.ni not reviewed tile medj i.il rei ords from Ashe's heart bypass surgeries in 107') and t'tHt at St Luke's Hospital in New York City and was not sure whether blood or blood products were used 111 either surgery He said only the hospi tal t ouid answer that A spokesperson from St Lukes Hospital did not mime dlately return a telephone (all lelt U i due- lav evening !>v I lie \ssoi cited I’tess Speaking at a news confer encr in New York. Astir said lie was 10(1 percent sure that tie hud contracted the virus from a blood transfusion, pro!) ably at Ins second hoar! opera lion in 1W8 t Mull hinson. dim tor of i anil ,ii surgery at Hai kensai k Mrdl (ill ( enter since 1 OHS held tile same po- l at St l ake s when Ashe had Ins surgeries in Mr Ashe's situation, it is possible hr received blood or blood produr ts. Mult hinson said In all proiiahilitv. ussuin lllg he did. |Ust because some one lias cardiat surgery doesn't mean that's how tie acquired tills Hutchinson s.i id nobody thought to si reen blood lor AIDS in 1U7') ins ause the virus was unknown He said it was a minimal concern in lWt and only smi i Imh'i has blood been m reened for the AIDS virus Hull lonson said In- has hud lvv :i p.itn*nts ninlnii I the AIDS virus m his .'0 years us ,i cardi •ii surgeon He did not stale linvv they acquired the v tries Dr I’eter l.ross. head of de |iarlinent of medit me and in lei tiotls diseases at Hal kensa k Medical Center, said Ins cad league could not he blamed I don't think the i ardiuc - t gism would lx- to blame ther or reiw (,ross said Hutchinson said he had heard rumors that Ashe had tfu virus hut nothing official until Ashes unm nine emerit Wedue d.iv tfiat he has AII IS Ashe had a double bypass m fait and a quadruplet bypass in l'tru Both surgeries were I1IH essary Mule hmson said ' Sped I H u 11 y as I rot oil. I think with his anatomy, the i I line es of living Id years prof) ally W 1 add hay e been eyti erne ly lnyy hue! he not had the surgi cal 1 n te r y ent ion h e fia d Hull hmson sahi flute hmson true keei Ashe s progress for a year or two after the second operation hut saicf Ashes cardiologist has moni tored film sine e I think like many people in America. I admired Mr Ashe immensely for his accomplish merits in sports ' flute hmson said 1 thought he was a gen tlem.in arid the type of person I'd like to see yy ill I v\ as proud to see him win and proud lor what I had done for him as a surgeon iv;: pgol d only at GOLDWORKS A V GOLD W O D K S JEWELRY DESIGN STUDIO 1502 Willamette St 345 2298 Regular Business Houi Tues Frl 9am 1pm 2pm 6pm Sat I Oam 4pm