Ross Scott, a dedicated volunteer with Perthshire Pride, has passed away after battling with AIDS.
The PA reported on Tuesday that Ross (25) only had days left to live, after developing the deadly disease last summer.
His family had set up an online crowdfunding page to help pay for his funeral, and the organisers of Perthshire Pride announced the main stage at this year’s event will be named in his honour.
Earlier this week, his family managed to raise the target of £3000 only hours after his untimely death.
Ross had become ill in late 2016 after picking up a near fatal nose infection.
He ended up going into Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, where doctors discovered he was HIV positive.
Ever since his diagnosis, he has been on a mission to educate others about the disease and raise awareness.
However last summer, he was given the devastating news he had developed AIDS, and doctors told him he would not make it to Christmas.
Despite this, he was determined not just to see Christmas but also to see in the new year, and Ross got to celebrate the festivities with his family.
He was admitted to a hospice in Kirkcaldy last week, and sadly passed away late on Tuesday, January 14.
His cousin Julie Shand set up the crowdfunding page to help pay for his funeral, and revealed she had managed to raise over £3000.
Speaking before his death, she told the PA: “Ross is lying on his deathbed worrying about his own funeral, and I want to take that worry away from him.
“He doesn’t want anyone crying because of him, he is very selfless in that sense.
“I want to say thank you to everyone who has donated so far, he has been shown so much love and support.”
Nathan Sparling, chief executive of HIV Scotland, said: “You don’t often see people in the final stages of AIDS anymore.
“It just shows there’s a lot more work to do because it was a shock to me to see this particular case.
“If anyone is at risk of HIV, whether it is through condomless sex, having a number of partners or taking drugs, then they need to make sure they know their status.
“It’s not just people being complacent, it’s health services being complacent.
“HIV is now seen as a long term, manageable condition, but GPs are not testing so people are living with HIV without being diagnosed.”
