Eve van Grafhorst

Eve van Grafhorst (17 July 1982 – 20 November 1993) was one of the first Australian children to be infected with HIV via a blood transfusion. She became the centre of a controversy in 1985 when she was banned from her local pre-school amid fears she might infect other children.

Early life Van Grafhorst was born prematurely in 1982, and required eleven blood transfusions to save her life. One of the transfusions was contaminated, and she contracted HIV.

Controversy in Australia In February 1985, her parents enrolled her in a pre-school in Kincumber, New South Wales. When she bit another child, After her condition became known, parents of other preschoolers threatened to withdraw their children if she was re-enrolled, saying that the young girl posed a grave threat of infection. She was eventually permitted to attend school, provided she wore a plastic face mask at all times. Some parents felt that was insufficient, and that the van Grafhorsts should leave town.

Relocation to New Zealand The van Grafhorsts did leave, moving to Hastings, New Zealand, in 1986. In contrast to their Australian experience, the van Grafhorst family was welcomed in Hastings. Van Grafhorst lived a relatively normal life, and attended a local school without incident.

Later life and recognition In 1992, she received a Variety Gold Heart Award. Her story had been widely reported throughout the world and, on her tenth birthday, van Grafhorst, dressed as a radiant bride, was sent a letter and autographed photograph of Diana, Princess of Wales. After van Grafhorst died at home in 1993, aged 11, her mother, Gloria, received a sympathetic letter from Diana, praising van Grafhorst for her "courage and strength".

Legacy The 1994 TV documentary All About Eve (in reference to the 1950 film), produced by Vincent Burke and directed by Monique Oomen, is a biography of van Grafhorst.