Ex-hospital director opens China’s only school for HIV-positive children to provide shelter

A former hospital director in northern China has dedicated over two decades to creating an educational sanctuary for children living with HIV.Guo Xiaoping, 63, a former director of an infectious diseases hospital in Linfen, Shanxi province, began his mission in 2004 after discovering children in hospital’s Aids ward who had reached school age but lacked access to proper education.He transformed a ward into a makeshift classroom, where he and the nurses taught Pinyin and multiplication tables.All the children had contracted HIV at birth. Many had lost their parents to Aids or had been abandoned shortly after birth. However, with early diagnosis, lifelong medication, and proper care, they could lead long and healthy lives.Guo Xiaoping, above, praised as a hero, has spent over two decades creating an educational haven for children living with HIV. Photo: ZhihuGuo later recalled a mother who entrusted her child to him before she died. As more children arrived, the small classroom became overcrowded.In 2006, with contributions from the hospital and the public, he founded the Red Ribbon Primary School, named after the global symbol of HIV awareness, care, and hope. It stands as the only full-time school in China for HIV-positive children.The school’s early years were overshadowed by fear. Recruiting teachers proved challenging, and some renovation workers fled upon learning the students were HIV-positive.Through sheer perseverance, Guo assembled a small team of substitute and residential teachers, including one who was living with HIV.Guo, above, is seen relaxing with students on school grounds; many contracted HIV at birth and have often lost parents to Aids or been abandoned. Photo: ZhihuThe school was never free from controversy. Some questioned the allocation of hospital funds to what they deemed an uncertain project, while others argued that educating children separately amounted to discrimination.Guo acknowledged this dilemma but maintained it was the only way to protect the children from a world unprepared to embrace them.In 2011, the local government began providing funding. Shortly thereafter, Guo resigned as hospital director to fully devote himself to the school.Today, Red Ribbon Primary School boasts dormitories, classrooms, a cafeteria, and activity spaces. It also offers medical check-ups, nursing care, and treatment support.Further ReadingFor children living with HIV, daily medication is a matter of survival. Teachers supervise every dose of antiretroviral drugs, understanding that even a missed day can jeopardise years of progress.Guo, middle, noted that the school remains the only safe haven for these children in a world unprepared to accept them. Photo: ZhihuReports indicate that all pupils at the school now have undetectable viral loads, meaning the virus is effectively suppressed and the risk of transmission is extremely low.Beyond medical challenges, Guo has waged a longer battle against prejudice.He recalled a time when villagers refused to accept money from his students, fearing the virus could survive on banknotes. Today, local shopkeepers know the Red Ribbon children and treat them with the same respect as any other.“In all these years, not a single child at the school has died. That is a miracle,” Guo told mainland media.“The only difference between them and other children is that they take one extra pill a day.”He emphasised that children born with HIV are not guilty and deserve understanding, dignity and a rightful place in society.Children playing outdoors with a teacher on the school grounds. Photo: ZhihuAmong the school’s first pupils was Cuicui, a pseudonym, who was seven upon her arrival.As a child, she faced ridicule and scorn from local children. Yet she vividly recalls her first meeting with Guo, when he shared a bowl of food with her – a gesture that few would have dared.“I felt accepted,” she shared with the media.Cuicui was admitted to university in 2017 and later worked for an artificial intelligence company. In 2022, she returned to Red Ribbon School at Guo’s invitation, and a year later, she celebrated her wedding at the school, her husband also living with HIV.One of the first pupils, Cuicui (a pseudonym), in a bridal dress, gained university admission in 2017 and later worked for an AI company. In 2023, she celebrated her wedding at the school, with her husband also living with HIV. Photo: ZhihuAnother student, 17-year-old Huoji, a pseudonym, hails from the Daliang Mountains in Sichuan province, southwest China. Born with HIV, he lost his parents and three younger brothers to Aids.In 2022, Guo journeyed to the mountains to bring several HIV-positive children to his school, including Huoji’s elder sister. Huoji was not initially on the list due to limited spots.Guo made the decision to include him – a choice that transformed the boy’s life. Huoji is now dedicated to his studies, aspiring to become a doctor and “save humanity.” He also participates in school charity sales, saving money to buy gifts for his elder sister.An active classroom where students comfortably express themselves and interact with one another. Photo: ZhihuAfter Guo retired in 2023, the school was entrusted to Wang Xia, his former colleague and head nurse at the infectious diseases hospital, who had taught children in the original ward classroom. Guo’s daughter also works at the school.As of 2025, Red Ribbon Primary School reportedly has 46 pupils and supports an additional 16 by covering their education and living expenses. Over the years, it has cared for 127 children from 14 provinces, with 65 now fully employed.Some have married and started families, giving birth to healthy babies through preventive measures to eliminate mother-to-child transmission, thereby breaking the intergenerational cycle of HIV.Red Ribbon features classrooms, dormitories, a cafeteria, and activity spaces, as well as medical check-ups, nursing care, and treatment support. Photo: ZhihuGuo’s story has raised public awareness about the lives of children living with HIV.“These children clearly did nothing wrong. They had no choice at birth, so at the very least, they have the right to enjoy a good life,” one online observer commented.“Guo is a great man. He transitioned from healing people’s bodies to saving people’s souls,” another added.HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, which can lead to Aids if left untreated over time.