The Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce Friday will honor the late Timothy Ray Brown, who was the first person successfully cured of HIV/AIDS, with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars.
“Timothy Ray Brown’s indelible mark on the world of HIV cure research and his unwavering dedication to raising awareness is admirable and we’re honored to be celebrating him with the 464th star on the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars,” Chamber CEO Nona Watson said in a statement.
A star dedication ceremony will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the downtown Palm Springs Park, according to chamber officials.
Brown, also known as “The Berlin Patient,” played a pivotal role in advancing HIV cure research, chamber officials said. His cure was initially disclosed at the 2008 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, and though he was given the moniker to protect his anonymity, he voluntarily stepped into the public eye in 2010.
His coming forward sparked inspiration among researchers, who embarked on an HIV cure research agenda that was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health.
Brown subsequently relocated to Palm Springs with his partner and the two participated in the Let’s Kick AIDS Survivor Syndrome social group, supported the HIV and Aging Research Project, and engaged in significant HIV research conferences such as the Palm Springs Symposium on HIV/AIDS, chamber officials said.
In July 2012, he announced the establishment of the Timothy Ray Brown Foundation, which is dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS.
He passed away Sept. 29, 2020, after announcing that his leukemia had returned a year prior and that he was terminally ill.