World

‘Berlin Patient’ who had defeated HIV dies aged 54

Timothy Ray Brown, a resident of Springs City, California, USA, is a name that was in the news a decade ago. There was a big reason behind this. It was said that Brown was the first person in the world to have overcome HIV infection a decade earlier. Since the disease was frowned upon in those days, due to this, the name of the person recovering from the disease was not disclosed.

Such patients were called only patients. Because of this, he was renamed the “Berlin Patient” during a conference to hide Brown’s identity, since then he has been identified with the Berlin Patient. He was battling cancer these days after defeating HIV infection but lost the battle. Brown died of cancer. Brown was also known as the “Berlin Patient”.

Inspiration for the world after defeating HIV

When he defeated HIV, a deadly AIDS disease spread over a decade ago, he became an example for millions of people worldwide suffering from the disease. The suffering people were told by giving Brown’s example that if he can be cured, then every patient can be cured. Due to high spirits, Brown had also once defeated cancer, but it came back again. He was undergoing treatment at his home for the last several months.

Was suffering from AIDS in 1995

Brown was found infected with HIV in 1995 when he was studying in Berlin. A decade later, he developed leukemia, a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. To cure his leukemia, his doctor at the Free University of Berlin used a stem cell transplant from a donor that had a rare genetic mutation.

The donor had a natural ability to protect against HIV because of that mutation. The doctor hoped that Brown’s illnesses would be cured by this rare mutation. He succeeded after two painful and dangerous rounds of transplantation. In 2008, Brown was declared free from both diseases.

How he become the Berlin Patient

Actually Brown’s identity was being considered to be kept secret. During this time a conference was organized, in which he was named “The Berlin Patient”. After two years, he himself decided to break his silence and then slowly became a public figure. He started giving speeches and interviews on his experience. He told in 2012 that ‘I am living proof that AIDS can be cured. Recovering from HIV is a great feeling.’

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