‘The London Patient’, cured of HIV, reveals his identity
AN HIV sufferer previously known only as “The London Patient”, who was cured of the virus, has revealed his identity for the first time.
Adam Castillejo, who was told he would not live to see Christmas 2015, has come forward a year after it was announced that he was in remission.
The 40-year-old is only the second person to have been cured after Timothy Ray Brown – “The Berlin Patient” – became the first 12 years earlier.
Mr Castillejo was born in Venezuela and has lived in London for nearly 20 years. He told the New York Times that he chose to reveal his identity in order to be an “ambassador of hope” for others who may have HIV.
However, he admitted that the journey to recovery had not been easy. Mr Castillejo was diagnosed with the HIV infection in 2003 and when antiretroviral drugs became available he managed to live a normal life until he found out he had Stage 4 lymphoma in 2011.
He said: “I will never forget my reaction as once again my world changed forever. Once again, another death sen- tence.” He considered going to Switzerland’s Dignitas assisted suicide clinic.
However, Mr Castillejo was treated by doctors in London and in May 2016 he received a bone-marrow transplant to replace his immune system and help to cure his cancer. The donor carried a genetic mutation that prevents HIV attaching itself to cells, making his new immune system resistant to the virus.
In March 2019, it was announced that Mr Castillejo was in “sustained remission”.
It is estimated that more than 100,000 people in the UK are living with HIV.