When gay rights activist David Kirby revealed his homosexuality to his family, they cast him out. But Kirby’s family returned to his side as he lay dying of AIDS, captured in this photo taken by student photographer Therese Frare in 1990.

David Kirby was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987 at just 29 years old, during a time when the disease was poorly understood, and treatments were nearly nonexistent. After years of activism on the West Coast, Kirby returned home to Ohio, seeking reconciliation with his family. Photographer Therese Frare documented his final days in March 1990, capturing an intimate image of Kirby on his deathbed surrounded by his grieving parents and siblings. The photograph, published in LIFE magazine, highlighted the human cost of the epidemic.

Read the full story here: The Story Behind The Photo Of David Kirby That Changed The World’s Perception Of AIDS