Ryan Lewis is opening up about his personal life to support a new health care nonprofit.
The 26-year-old musician revealed that his mother, Julie Lewis, is HIV positive as part of his announcement for an organization to advocate for affordable medical care.
“In 1984, my mom gave birth to my older sister, Teresa,” Lewis wrote on IndieGoGo, where he’s collecting funds for the organization. “Due to a complicated delivery, she needed a blood transfusion and at that moment, my mom had HIV+ blood put into her body. When she was finally diagnosed, she was given only a few years to live.”
“Thanks to advanced medicine and health care available here in the U.S., my mom has lived despite her odds,” Lewis continued. “To honor the thirty years my mom has been a survivor, our family is raising funs to build health centers worldwide that will stand strong for at least thirty years.”
Lewis’ musical partner Macklemore is supporting the project, as are partners Construction for Change and Partners in Health.
Lewis is seeking $100,000 to complete the first phase of the project, constructing a health center in Nsambe, Malawi.
Gifts for donors include a signed Macklemore and Ryan Lewis vinyl copy of “The Heist” and VIP concert tickets. As of publication, the project had raised $29,206 of its goal.
