Blog. The London Patient

Last July, I received an anonymous email. It began: “You may have heard in the news the amazing story of the ‘London Patient’, who has been "cured of HIV" following stem cell treatment for cancer. The London Patient is me.”

These lines stopped in my tracks. I had indeed read of the London Patient in newspaper reports, and knew he was a global medical cause célèbre. 

“I am writing to you because I am a worker in the hospitality industry,” the email continued, “and Hospitality Action provided me with support and assistance during my illness. I would like to express my unreserved gratitude to HA for all the support and financial assistance that you gave me during my struggle with cancer. I don't think I could have managed without your help. 

“I would like to repay you. Hopefully I can help you to help more people like me, and to help raise awareness of your charity.” 

I met the London Patient a few weeks later. He told me he wished to remain anonymous while he plotted how best to tell the world his story. For ease, he became ‘LP’. Then, a few weeks ago, we met again to film the video below. 

On Monday, LP publicly revealed his identity in a major interview with the New York Times. Goodbye LP, and hello … Adam. 

As you’ll see from our video, Adam’s journey has been a hard one. Quite apart from the immense amount of gruelling treatments he’s undergone, becoming such a high-profile medical case study has taken its toll. Just imagine how hard it must be to focus on getting better, when your story is being told in the global press.

Luckily, we were there for him when he was simply Adam, and not the London Patient.

What’s important to note, is that the psychological support we offered him was just as important to Adam as the financial support we gave him. A night out on us provided a profoundly valuable moment of respite from his health challenges.

This is an important point. Sometimes, the support we give requires a substantial financial outlay. Other times, our interventions are more modest - but no less valued by beneficiaries. This means that every gift to us, no matter how small, can have an impact.

Please watch and share Adam’s story. It’s his gift to us, and a very precious one.