

Timothy Ray Brown, who inspired millions of HIV-positive people, died of leukemia
In 2007, Mr Brown, also known as “the Berlin patient,” received a bone marrow transplant from an HIV-resistant donor.
It meant he didn’t need anti-viral drugs anymore, and he was free of the virus that can lead to Aids for the rest of his life.
Mr Brown, according to the International Aids Society, gave the world hope that an HIV cure was possible.
Born in the US, Mr. Brown, 54, received his HIV diagnosis in 1995 while residing in Berlin. Then, in 2007, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a form of blood cancer.
He underwent a bone marrow transplant after having his bone marrow, which was producing the cancerous cells, destroyed.
The donor for the transplant had a rare mutation in the CCR5 gene, a region of their DNA.
HIV resistance
A set of genetic instructions called CCR5 is used to construct the entrance that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) uses to enter cells.
People who have mutations to CCR5 are essentially immune to HIV.
In 2012, Mr. Brown told the BBC that he stopped taking his medication on the day of his transplant and that after three months, his body was HIV-free.
Never again was the virus found in his body. In actuality, he was “cured”.
“I was excited about it, but I still kind of feared it might come back, but it didn’t,” he continued.
But earlier in year 2020, the leukemia that was the cause of his HIV cure came back and spread to his brain and spinal cord.
Tim Hoeffgen, Timothy’s partner, wrote on Facebook, “It is with great sadness that I announce that Timothy passed away… surrounded by myself and friends, after a five-month battle with leukaemia.
“I’m heartbroken that my hero is gone,” Hoeffgen wrote. “Tim was truly the sweetest person in the world. Tim’s spirit will live on and the love and support from family and friends will help me through this most difficult time.”
Tim dedicated his life to sharing his experience with an HIV cure, becoming a symbol of hope, he continued.

Closer to a cure?
Mr. Brown’s cure was too risky and aggressive to be applied frequently; it is still primarily used to treat cancer. The 38 million people who are believed to be HIV-positive, many of whom reside in sub-Saharan Africa, cannot afford the strategy.
However, Mr. Brown’s tale gave hope that a cure might one day be discovered to researchers, patients, and the general public.
The International Aids Society (IAS) expressed “a profoundly heavy heart” in its statement of mourning.
The IAS president, Prof. Adeeba Kamarulzaman, said, “We owe Timothy and his doctor, Gero Hutter, a great deal of gratitude for opening the door for scientists to explore the idea that a cure for HIV is possible.”
It was announced earlier that year that a second HIV patient had been cured. Adam Castillejo, also known as the “London patient,” received comparable treatment to Mr. Brown and was able to stop taking HIV medications.
Prof. Sharon Lewin, the director of the Doherty Institute in Melbourne, Australia, stated that although the cases of Timothy and Adam do not represent a viable large-scale strategy for a cure, they do represent a crucial point in the search for an HIV cure.
Timothy was a strong supporter of keeping HIV research on the political and scientific agenda.
“The scientific community hopes that one day we can honor his legacy with a safe, affordable, and widely accessible approach to HIV remission and cure using gene editing or techniques that boost immune control,” reads a statement from the scientific community.

Brown’s success inspired HIV cure research
Dr. Hans-Peter Kiem, who holds the Stephanus Family Endowed Chair for Cell and Gene Therapy at Fred Hutch, got to know and respect Brown through his role as co-founder of defeatHIV. He attributes him with accelerating the National Institutes of Health’s Martin Delaney Collaboratories program’s funding of HIV cure research.
“The NIH started this HIV cure effort ten years ago thanks to Timothy. How many people he has directly or indirectly aided is astounding, Kiem said.
In November 2020, Kiem spoke at a TEDx event in Seattle, where he discussed how Timothy Ray Brown has influenced his quest to treat HIV through the eventual administration of “gene therapy in a syringe.”
Brown was the only person on Earth known to have defeated the virus for a dozen years despite numerous attempts to replicate his treatment. He sincerely hoped he wasn’t the only one.
Then, on March 4, 2019, it was determined that a “London Patient” was probably cured through a similar stem cell transplant. A year later, he identified himself as Adam Castillejo, a 40-year-old Venezuelan immigrant working as a sous chef in London. In 2016, he had undergone a single stem cell transplant.
Castillejo and Brown had spoken on the phone, but they had never actually met.

Kipekee, the world's only spotless giraffe, was born at Brights Zoo
The world's only spotless giraffe was born at a zoo in the United States. The giraffe born without spots on July 31 is the only one of her kind on Earth.

Mystery of 300-year-old mummified mermaid is being probed
There is a 300-year-old mummified mermaid with 30 centimetres tall and features a human-like head, two hands with what appear to be fingernails, and its lower body that look like a fish tail. The “mermaid mummy” is being probed by Japanese scientists in an attempt to unravel the mystery of its existence.

'Super obedient' lookout parrot trained by Brazilian drug dealers is seized by police
In 2019, police in Brazil seized a 'super obedient' lookout parrot trained by drug dealers. According to reports, the bird had been taught to alert criminals to police operations by shouting: "Mum, the police!" As soon as the police got close, he started shouting.

Whang-od Oggay, The legendary tattoo artist from the Philippines
This is Whang-od Oggay, a 106-year-old tattoo artist from the Philippines. She is often described as the last and oldest Kalinga tattoo artist, and has been performing the traditional art of hand-tapped tattoos since the age of 15

Mom hears son's heartbeat 3 years after his death when she meets organ recipient
She agreed to donate her son's organs after his sudden death in June 2013 at the age of 7 months. The grieving mother was able to listen to her late son’s heart beating inside the little girl who received the organ after his death.

Before Hollywood, Christopher Walken Was a Teenage Lion Tamer with a Lioness Named Sheba
Before acting, Christopher Walken worked as a lion tamer in a circus at age 16. He performed with a lioness named Sheba and described the job as surprisingly calm—just another day before Hollywood stardom.

Leo Grand: from homeless to mobile app developer
In 2013, A young programmer offered a homeless man the choice between $100 cash or coding lessons. Leo Grand chose the lessons, and his first mobile app was “Trees for Cars," which helps drivers find carpooling partners.

A story of a man Survived Inside Sunken Ship For Three Days
A man survived a sunken ship for nearly three days, 279 feet underwater and in complete darkness, while listening to fish eat the bodies of his shipmates.

stranded hikers rescued by a life-saving iPhone feature
Stranded hikers were rescued by a life-saving iPhone feature that an awful lot of folks don't know a lot about.

How hero parrot saved little girl who was choking on her breakfast
In 2008 Quaker parrot Willie alerted his owner Megan Howard when the little girl she was babysitting began to choke. Howard was in the bathroom when the parrot repeatedly yelled "Mama! Baby!" flapping his wings. Megan rushed and performed the Heimlich maneuver, saving her life. Willie received the Red Cross Animal Lifesaver Award.

Oreo builds asteroid-proof bunker to protect its cookies and recipes
In October 2020, Oreo builds a concrete bunker in Svalbard, Norway, to protect their recipes in case of an asteroid impact. The vault also contains Oreos wrapped in Mylar and vials of milk powder.

The incredible story of a plane that lost its roof in mid-flight and the light signal that saved 94 lives.
On April 28, 1988, Aloha Airlines flight 243 was on the way to Honolulu from Hilo when a huge portion of the upper part of the fuselage blew off the airplane.

Billy Ray Harris: A Story of Kindness and Honesty
In 2013, a homeless man named Billy Ray Harris discovered a $4,000 engagement ring in this cup. A woman had dropped while giving him some change. He returned the ring to her two days later. To thank him for his honesty, she set up a fund with the goal of raising $4,000 for him. It earned more than $185,000.

A man who was saved from committing suicide 16 years ago now assists people dealing with mental health issues
Kevin Berthia traveled to the Golden Gate Bridge in 2005 to commit suicide. He ended up spending 92 minutes on the edge of the bridge talking to officer Kevin Briggs about his life. In much better circumstances, they cross paths at the same bridge ten years later.

A man who has been suffering from headaches for nearly six months discovers chopsticks lodged in his brain
When it was discovered that a Vietnamese man with headaches and vision problems had chopsticks lodged in his brain, the doctors were almost as surprised as the man himself.

24-year-old burglar beaten by retired boxer victim
A 24-year-old knife-wielding burglar attempted to get into the home of a 72-year-old senior in Oxford, England, in 2009, but was left battered, bruised, and pinned to the ground. Frank Corti, the elderly, turned out to be a former boxing champion.

Before "The Rock," There Was "Rocky Maivia"
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s first WWF persona was Rocky Maivia, a face (good guy). The audience rejected him due to his cheesy character, with chants of “Die, Rocky, die!”. After this, he became a heel (villain), referring to himself in the third person as “The Rock” and insulting the audience.

Estonians save a wolf from the ice by mistaking it for a dog
Two young construction workers in Estonia discovered what they thought was a dog caught in a frozen lake. They carried it to their car and brought him to an animal shelter, not realizing it was a wolf.

Hyperinflation of the Zimbabwe dollar turning phasing out their local money in 2015
Hyperinflation of the Zimbabwe dollar made it one of the lowest valued currencies in the world. So the country abandoned it in 2009, and switched to using foreign money. In 2015, to complete the process of phasing out their local money, the government offered to exchange it at a rate of one US dollar for 35 quadrillion Zimbabwean dollars.

The actions of a 7-year-old girl protected her mother from bullets
A 7-year-old girl jumped in front of her mother to save her from a man who was attempting to kill her in 2007. She was shot six times and survived, as well as saving her mother.

Kenyan Innovator Creates Smart Gloves That Translate Sign Language Into Audible Speech
In 2023, a Kenyan inventor Roy Allela invented smart gloves that can convert sign language movements into audio speech, for his six years old niece who was born deaf.

Morgan’s Wonderland, the world’s first ultra-accessible amusement park
Gordon Hartman was heartbroken when his special needs daughter, Morgan, was rejected by a group of children playing by the hotel poolside. He then set out to build a place where all children can play together. This led to the development of the world’s first ultra-accessible amusement park, Morgan’s Wonderland

The rescuing hug - the touching story of twins Brielle and Kyrie Jackson
Brielle and Kyrie Jackson’s lifesaving hug was captured when Brielle was struggling to breathe and going blue. As a final option, the nurse deviated from protocol and placed them in the same incubator. Kyrie wrapped her arm around her sister, who immediately began to stabilize

Drive-Thru Weddings in Las Vegas: The Ultimate Fast, Fun, and Legal Way to Say “I Do”
Inspired by fast food convenience, Las Vegas offers drive-thru weddings where couples can legally marry in under 5 minutes—without leaving their car. Some chapels even offer curbside Elvis impersonators and 24/7 ceremonies, complete with “to-go” marriage licenses.

Megamouth Shark And Her Babies Found Dead In The Philippines
Filipino zoologists have recorded a pregnant megamouth shark for the first time ever since the rare aquatic specie was discovered in 1974.