During a time when Americans were slowly learning about the many aspects of AIDS, AMC introduced viewers to Cindy Parker, (Ellen Wheeler) a single mom who contracted the disease from her drug-addicted husband. Cindy faced much of the bigotry that many real-life AIDS victims faced during that time, but she did find friends in Dr. Angie Hubbard (Debbi Morgan), among others, and a love interest in Stuart Chandler (David Canary). By the time the couple decided to marry, they knew she didn't have much time left. Stuart and Cindy made the most of their brief time together, and when the day came, Stuart faced the tragedy with typical strength and grace. The heartbreakingly sad yet optimistic smile on Stuart's face as he delivered the news to his loved ones said it all. One of AMC's largest audiences tuned in to say goodbye to Cindy, and this storyline convinced other soaps to feature characters with HIV/AIDS. David Canary and Ellen Wheeler both won Daytime Emmys for bringing Stuart and Cindy's story to life.
During a time when Americans were slowly learning about the many aspects of AIDS, AMC introduced viewers to Cindy Parker, (Ellen Wheeler) a single mom who contracted the disease from her drug-addicted husband. Cindy faced much of the bigotry that many real-life AIDS victims faced during that time, but she did find friends in Dr. Angie Hubbard (Debbi Morgan), among others, and a love interest in Stuart Chandler (David Canary). By the time the couple decided to marry, they knew she didn't have much time left. Stuart and Cindy made the most of their brief time together, and when the day came, Stuart faced the tragedy with typical strength and grace. The heartbreakingly sad yet optimistic smile on Stuart's face as he delivered the news to his loved ones said it all. One of AMC's largest audiences tuned in to say goodbye to Cindy, and this storyline convinced other soaps to feature characters with HIV/AIDS. David Canary and Ellen Wheeler both won Daytime Emmys for bringing Stuart and Cindy's story to life.