Avril Haines was born in New York City on August 27, 1969, to Adrian Rappin and Thomas H. Haines. She grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Haines’ mother, a painter, was Jewish. When Haines was 10, her mother developed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and contracted avian tuberculosis; Haines and her father nursed Adrian in a home ICU until her death when Haines was 15 years old. Her father, Thomas H. Haines, is a biochemist who graduated with a PhD from Rutgers University and helped in the formation of the CUNY School of Medicine, where he served as the chair of the biochemistry department. After graduating from Hunter … Continue reading Avril Haines