RYAN LEWIS AND MOM TALK AIDS WITH ELVIS DURAN

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ELVIS DURAN AND THE Z100 MORNING SHOW

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Ryan Lewis With Mom On Elvis Duran

Multi-Grammy Award winning artist Ryan Lewis stopped by Elvis Duran and The Z100 Morning Show to talk about the launch of the 30/30 Project. Julie Lewis, mother of Ryan and 30-year HIV Survivor, founded this campaign. The 30/30 Project seeks to bring healthcare facilities to communities impacted by HIV/AIDS, as well as offer compressive general healthcare. To celebrate the mark of surviving for 30 years with HIV, Julie, Ryan, and the 30/30 Project seek to build medical centers worldwide that will sustain for at least 30 years. The launch of the 30/30 Project also coincides with this week’s 30th anniversary announcing the discovery that the HIV virus leads to AIDS. During the interview this morning, Elvis donated $5,000.00 on behalf of the Morning Show.

When asked about the reasoning behind the project, Julie said, “I want to do something big. The 30/30 Project is that big idea. We believe that healthcare is a human right. We have the knowledge and we have the treatments. Life threatening diseases like HIV/AIDS can be managed. What people need is access.” For more information on The 30/30 Project, please visit www.3030project.org and www.indiegogo.com/projects/30-30-project, where incentive based donations are being accepted.

ON HIS MOTHER JULIE DISCOVERING SHE HAD HIV/AIDS IN 1990

“Ryan was two and my eldest child was six. We waited four years before we told our children, and at that point, being a high school teacher and having my status public at that point, I actually started speaking out and I did that for 10 years.”

ON RYANS MISSION WITH THE 30/30 PROJECT

“My mom has been working for an organization called Construction for Change for the last few years. It is basically a nonprofit that builds infrastructure – from schools to community centers, to medical centers. The 30/30 Project, hitting that 30-year mark that was not anticipated, not expected for our family. When she was diagnosed she was given three to five years to live. Now, living 30 years we wanted to do something to commemorate that.”

ON THE DIFFERENCE IN HEALTHCARE AND WHY CERTAIN AREAS NEED HELP THE MOST

“It’s access. All of these drugs exist to those who have HIV/AIDS today, it is a manageable disease if you can get access to medication but there is no access.”