Terry Higgins

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For other persons named Terence Higgins, see Terence Higgins (disambiguation).

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Terrence Higgins, known as Terry Higgins, (1945 - 4 July 1982) was among the first people known to die of an AIDS-related illness in England. He died on July 4, 1982. He worked as a Hansard reporter in the House of Commons and as a barman in the nightclub Heaven. He collapsed while working at Heaven and was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital, London where he died of pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and primary multifocal leukoencephalopathy some weeks later.

Martyn Butler (b. 1954) and Terrence Higgins' partner Rupert Whitaker (b. 1963) and friends set up The Terry Higgins Trust, later renamed the Terrence Higgins Trust in his memory, dedicated to preventing the spread and promoting awareness of the disease. Whitaker went on to study medicine and became a medical scientist working on HIV and AIDS related illness.