Timothy Ray Brown, First Person Cured of HIV, Dies of Cancer

However, after years of remission, the cancer returned late last year and spread to his spine and brain.

“It’s a very sad situation,” said Huetter, who is currently the medical director of a stem cell company in Dresden, Germany regarding Brown’s death.

Moreover, according to Huetter, until the end of his life, Brown was still free from HIV. “Timothy became a symbol that (the procedure) was possible under special circumstances,” he said.

Meanwhile, International AIDS Society president Adeeba Kamarulzaman said they thanked Brown and Huetter for “opening the door for scientists to explore the concept that a cure for HIV is possible.”

When interviewed by Associated Press some time ago, Brown was grateful that he was able to undergo the transplant.

“It opens doors that weren’t there before,” Brown said at the time. According to him, what happened to him inspired scientists to work harder and find a cure.

Meanwhile, for Mark King, a man in Baltimore living with HIV, Brown is a magnet for himself and those living with the disease, to realize the hope of a cure.

“He has said from the start, ‘I don’t want to be the only one. They have to keep working for this,'” said King.

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