Von Biggs Presented with Unsung Hero Award For HIV/AIDS Advocacy

The Holy Cross Health Community Health & Well-Being Community Outreach Coordinator was recognized for his contributions.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida (December 16, 2024) – In recognition for his contributions to the HIV/AIDS community, Von Biggs, Holy Cross Health Community Health & Well-Being Community Outreach Coordinator, received the Unsung Hero Award. It was presented by Pridelines, in collaboration with Positive People Network, on World AIDS Day.

A pastor in Indianapolis told Biggs, who was a youth pastor at the time, 17 years ago that God had a plan for him to minister to AIDS patients. As fate would have it, Biggs himself was diagnosed with the virus two years later. Upon moving to Fort Lauderdale in 2018, he struggled to navigate the healthcare system when he needed Ryan White services, which provides primary medical care, medications and support for low-income people who are HIV positive. He also noticed a racial disparity in the quality of care. That experience fueled Biggs’ passion to advocate for himself and others.

“Healthcare is not treated fairly, and the stories of stigma and struggle need to be heard. We must empower individuals to speak their truth, for if they are silenced, we are doomed to repeat history,” Biggs said in his acceptance speech. “Ministry has many forms, and I know I am called to do this work and will continue until that calling ceases. To my Holy Cross family, I couldn't do what I do in our community without your unwavering support. It is my goal to see the end of the HIV epidemic within my lifetime.”

Through his advocacy work, Biggs seeks to decrease the stigma of HIV, improve access to healthcare and medication, and encourage individuals to get tested. He currently serves as the Vice Chair for Broward County’s Ryan White Part A Planning Council and is on the Board of TransEd, a non-profit community-based organization that provides scholarships to transgender and non-binary young adults. In addition to his outreach efforts in his role at Holy Cross Health, Biggs frequently contributes to local publications and appears on Queer News Tonight, a daily news broadcast geared to the LGBTQ+ community.

ABOUT HOLY CROSS HEALTH 
A member of Trinity Health, Fort Lauderdale-based Holy Cross Hospital, dba Holy Cross Health, is a full-service, not-for-profit, Catholic, teaching hospital operating in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy. Holy Cross has been recognized for six Types of Care in U.S. News and World Report’s 2024-25 Best Hospital rankings and was named among the 2024 America’s Best-In-State Hospitals by Newsweek. Through strategic collaborations and a commitment to being a person-centered, transforming, healing presence, the 557-bed hospital offers progressive inpatient, outpatient and community outreach services and clinical research trials to serve as our community’s trusted health partner for life. Holy Cross Health also encompasses Holy Cross HealthPlex outpatient facility, an urgent care center and more than 40 Holy Cross Medical Group physician practices. To learn more about Holy Cross Health, visit holy-cross.com. Connect @holycrossfl.