A blue tie Princess Diana gave to Chris Barnard — the surgeon who led the team which performed South Africa’s first human heart transplant — medals‚ a gold nametag and his stethoscope are on display at an art exhibition in Cape Town.
Anaesthetist and artist Dr Heinz Mödler has turned Barnard’s memorabilia into artworks which commemorate the 50th anniversary of the heart transplant‚ on 3 December 1967.
The exhibition opened on Thursday at the Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital.
The world feted Barnard after the transplant and he was awarded numerous medals‚ prizes‚ keys‚ coins‚ fellowships and honorary degrees from universities‚ cities and institutions across the world.
Barnard‚ perhaps the best-known South African before Nelson Mandela‚ became a celebrity and globe-trotter after the transplant and met princesses‚ movie stars and heads of state.
The blue tie‚ decorated with figures of flamingos‚ drummers‚ huts and stars‚ has been mounted against a piece of cloth with the same design. Princess Diana confided in Barnard and wrote him letters.
The artefacts on show include a trio of gold‚ silver and bronze medals from the World Transplant Games and a silver medal to commemorate 100 years of the Olympic Games‚ presented to Barnard in Greece.
The Albert Schweitzer World Academy of Medicine gave him a medal and‚ closer to home‚ the Western Cape gave him a posthumous Western Cape Gold Cross in 2003.
Most of the honours heaped on him are not up but the impressive Heart of Cape Town Museum — inside Groote Schuur Hospital exactly where the transplant took place — highlights many of the tributes to Barnard.
The Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital has a permanent exhibition honouring Barnard and pioneers like him‚ from the 10th to 14th floors.
Barnard’s sketch of how a “piggyback” heart transplant works has been mounted by Mödler and hangs near a lift in this collection. Barnard gave it to his expert perfusionist and friend Dene Friedman on November 25‚ 1974‚ to explain how two hearts work in one body‚ after his team did the first piggyback transplant operation.
Barnard contributed significantly to medicine beyond the first human heart transplant. In October 1967 he did South Africa’s first kidney transplant and the patient survived for more than 20 years.
He helped to develop artificial heart valves‚ surgery for congenital heart defects and a curative operation still used for an intestinal condition‚ making a major contribution to paediatric surgery.
Dr Susan Vosloo‚ who got to know Barnard in the late 80s‚ said he supported her setting up the heart transplant programme in the private sector which has been a success.
Barnard did 53 heart transplants before his death on September 2‚ 2001.
- See the Sunday Times on December 3 for more on Chris Barnard and the first heart transplant.
Tie from Di at heart of Barnard anniversary exhibition
Anaesthetist and artist Dr Heinz Mödler has turned Barnard’s memorabilia into artworks which commemorate the 50th anniversary of the heart transplant‚ on 3 December 1967.
The exhibition opened on Thursday at the Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital.
The world feted Barnard after the transplant and he was awarded numerous medals‚ prizes‚ keys‚ coins‚ fellowships and honorary degrees from universities‚ cities and institutions across the world.
Barnard‚ perhaps the best-known South African before Nelson Mandela‚ became a celebrity and globe-trotter after the transplant and met princesses‚ movie stars and heads of state.
The blue tie‚ decorated with figures of flamingos‚ drummers‚ huts and stars‚ has been mounted against a piece of cloth with the same design. Princess Diana confided in Barnard and wrote him letters.
The artefacts on show include a trio of gold‚ silver and bronze medals from the World Transplant Games and a silver medal to commemorate 100 years of the Olympic Games‚ presented to Barnard in Greece.
The Albert Schweitzer World Academy of Medicine gave him a medal and‚ closer to home‚ the Western Cape gave him a posthumous Western Cape Gold Cross in 2003.
Most of the honours heaped on him are not up but the impressive Heart of Cape Town Museum — inside Groote Schuur Hospital exactly where the transplant took place — highlights many of the tributes to Barnard.
The Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital has a permanent exhibition honouring Barnard and pioneers like him‚ from the 10th to 14th floors.
Barnard’s sketch of how a “piggyback” heart transplant works has been mounted by Mödler and hangs near a lift in this collection. Barnard gave it to his expert perfusionist and friend Dene Friedman on November 25‚ 1974‚ to explain how two hearts work in one body‚ after his team did the first piggyback transplant operation.
Barnard contributed significantly to medicine beyond the first human heart transplant. In October 1967 he did South Africa’s first kidney transplant and the patient survived for more than 20 years.
He helped to develop artificial heart valves‚ surgery for congenital heart defects and a curative operation still used for an intestinal condition‚ making a major contribution to paediatric surgery.
Dr Susan Vosloo‚ who got to know Barnard in the late 80s‚ said he supported her setting up the heart transplant programme in the private sector which has been a success.
Barnard did 53 heart transplants before his death on September 2‚ 2001.
- See the Sunday Times on December 3 for more on Chris Barnard and the first heart transplant.
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