National AIDS Memorial Grove Dedicates Timothy Ray Brown ‘The Berlin Patient’ Memorial

Timothy Ray Brown was an American considered to be the first person cured ofHIV/AIDS.

On October 16,  “The Berlin Patient” Memorial Campaign consortium dedicated a boulder in the National AIDS Memorial Grove to honor his life and journey.

National AIDS Memorial Grove Boulder Dedication Ceremony

Timothy was diagnosed with HIV while studying abroad in 1995, and later developed acute myeloid leukemia. Timothy underwent two stem cell transplantations and discontinued antiretroviral therapy. By the end of 2007, it appeared that the treatment worked –both for his viral infection and for his cancer. Timothy was called “The Berlin Patient” at the 2008 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, where his cure was first announced, and after which he dedicated his life to supporting research to search for a cure for HIV. 

Timothy moved back to the United States in 2010, and to San Francisco in 2012. Shortly thereafter, Timothy met his life partner, Tim Hoeffgen. The couple moved to Palm Springs in 2015. 

Over the last decade, Timothy became a visible and vocal advocate for HIV and cancer research. He traveled to many conferences around the world to tell his story and inspired researchers, activists, and patients living with HIV. He established the Washington, D.C.-based Timothy Ray Brown Foundation dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS. He also inspired the establishment of IciStem, a collaborative project to guide and investigate the potential for HIV cure by stem cell transplantation. 

In 2015, he published I Am the Berlin Patient.

Timothy never again tested positive for HIV. 

His leukemia, however, relapsed last year and Timothy passed away on September 29, 2020. He was 54.

To memorialize Timothy Ray Brown’s life and journey, a consortium of HIV/AIDS organizations collaborated to launch the Timothy Ray Brown “The Berlin Patient” Memorial Campaign. The Campaign raised funds to dedicate a memorial boulder with a touching inscription in the National AIDS Memorial Grove and a memorial bench and plaque in The Wellness Park adjacent to the Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.

The coordinating consortium consists of the National AIDS Memorial, Let’s Kick A.S.S. (AIDS Survivors Syndrome) Palm Springs (LKAPS), amfAR-The Foundation for AIDS Research, Desert Healthcare District & Foundation, HIV + AIDS Research Project-Palm Springs (HARP-PS), and Until There’s A Cure Foundation.

The consortium collaborated with Tim Hoeffgen, Brown’s life partner, in the effort. Hoeffgen said, “I am so happy that the HIV community and family and friends have joined together to memorialize Timothy Brown’s activism and legacy at the National AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco and The Wellness Park in Palm Springs. Having these special places to remember and meditate on Timothy’s life is what I envisioned, and I am extremely grateful for this outpouring of support.”

Hoeffgen will be attending the dedication ceremony along with friends, consortium partner representatives, and Grove volunteers, who will help plant flowers around the boulder following the ceremony.  The boulder, located in the beautiful Redwood Grove near the Circle of Friends reads, “In loving memory of Timothy Ray Brown ~ The first person cured of HIV”.

More About Timothy Ray Brown

Timothy Ray Brown was an American considered to be the first person cured of HIV/AIDS. Timothy was diagnosed with HIV while studying abroad in 1995, and later developed acute myeloid leukemia. Timothy underwent two stem cell transplants and discontinued his HIV therapy. By the end of 2007, it appeared that the treatment worked – both for his viral infection and for his cancer. Timothy was called “The Berlin Patient” at the 2008 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, where his cure was first announced, and after which he dedicated his life to supporting research to search for a cure for HIV. Timothy moved back to the United States in 2010, and to San Francisco in 2012. Shortly thereafter, Timothy met his life partner, Tim Hoeffgen. The couple moved to Palm Springs in 2015.

Over the last decade, Timothy became a visible and vocal advocate for HIV and cancer research. He traveled to many conferences around the world to tell his story and inspired researchers, activists, and patients living with HIV. He established the Washington, D. C.-based Timothy Ray Brown Foundation dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS. He also inspired the establishment of IciStem, a collaborative project to guide and investigate the potential for HIV cure by stem cell transplantation. In 2015, he published “I Am the Berlin Patient: A Personal Reflection”.  Timothy never again tested positive for HIV. His leukemia, however, relapsed last year and Timothy passed away on September 29, 2020. He was 54.