Henry Nicols

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Henry Nicols shortly before his death.

Henry Nicols Senior Photo.

""Henry Joseph Nicols"" Eagle Scout(August 9, 1973 – May 8, 2000) was born with the genetic disease hemophilia or haemophiliac and later acquired HIV and AIDS from one of the more than 400 blood transfusions he received as a child. Early in the AIDS epidemic in 1984 the family discovered that Nicols had been infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Nicols and his family decided to keep this infection secret. They told no one in their small rural community of Cooperstown, New York, and sought treatment more than 200 miles away in New York City where a child with AIDS might attract less attention. In 1991 when Nicols was diagnosed with “full blown” AIDS and was told he had less than two years to live he decided he should not live with the secret any longer. In the first ever planned disclosure in the United States of an American school student with AIDS, Nicols with the help of then Cooperstown School Superintendent Douglas Bradshaw, made plans to tell his community about his illness and on March 8, 1991 Nicols went public and held a press conference revealing that he would use his illness as a leadership project to earn the coveted Eagle Scout award from the Boy Scouts of America. Unlike those who had preceded him like Ryan White of Kokomo, Indiana, and the Ray brothers from Arcadia, Florida who were shunned by their communities, Nicols was embraced and protected by his hometown of Cooperstown, New York. Nicols went from being an unknown and secret AIDS patient to becoming a local hero and an international AIDS advocate. He was featured on the cover of Parade Magazine, had stories written in People Magazine and numerous other news journals. He was a featured guest on Good Morning America and other national news broadcasts and was interviewed by CBS news anchor Peter Jennings during a TV special on AIDS. Nicols used his new found notoriety to advocate for compassion and understanding for all those afflicted with AIDS. Nicols completed the requirements to be an Eagle Scout and was awarded the Eagle Scout Badge in July of 1991. He was awarded the first ever Ryan White Award by the National Hemophilia Association, testified before Congress and met with New York Governor Mario Cuomo and Arnold Schwarzenegger then Presidential Physical Fitness Advisor to George H. Bush. Nicols also met with Presidents George H. Bush, and William Jefferson Clinton to discuss AIDS related issues. Nicols was awarded an honorary Bachelors degree from The University of Scranton in 1992. He was awarded the Caring award in 1992 by the Heart of America foundation and Nicols and his family were featured in the 1993 HBO documentary Eagle Scout: The Story of Henry Nicols [1]. Nicols and his sisters Jennifer and Diana and their family traveled around the United States and the world to set up AIDS support groups. They worked in Ireland, Canada and Japan and met with university students in 42 states in the United States to educate and support those with AIDS. As his illness progressed and as Nicols health began to fail he traveled less and less and in the Spring of 2000 on his way to a Boy Scout weekend Nicols had a one car accident, striking a tree. He died 11 days later.[2] There are several monuments[www.coopercrier.com/news/stories/archive2002.html] to his memory in Cooperstown, New York where his family still lives.

We have often heard of the detrimental (as in I-don’t-ever-want-to-be-there) case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Henry was presented with such a challenge in a big way. AIDS was considered by many of the ignorant masses as a "gay disease" and Henry happened to not be gay and was in fact, just a pre teen. The general public wanted to distance themselves from a disease that exposed them to concepts such as “bodily fluids” and homosexuality; these were hard to accept in the early 1980’s. Henry in contrast, was a Boy Scout and dreamed of being a Samurai warrior. His fight would be against ignorance, superstition and lies. It wasn’t a “gay” disease; it was “our” disease. He rose above the so-called “popular wisdom” and its associated outcry to announce to whoever would listen that AIDS was a disease that could not be contracted by friendship, or saying “hello” or sharing a sunrise, a microphone or an idea. Henry was in one sense a prophet of our day. He had an important message of truth that defied the so called common wisdom of the day. He traveled throughout the world, not for personal glory, but to warn us all about this terrible danger. Not just about AIDS, but also our treatment of those with AIDS. Despite his short time with us, he was both an inspiration of hope to the afflicted and a wellspring of truth to those who would listen about one of the great afflictions of our time.