Watch this video marking 40 years since Fiona received her new heart.
On 8th April, 1984. Dr Chang and his team operated on Fiona Coote, giving her a new heart.
Fiona was 14 years old at the time of the procedure and was the fourth ever recipient of a heart transplant in Australia. Fiona is a Patron of the Victor Chang Foundation.
Fiona said:
When Dr Chang first assessed me to see if I would be suitable for a heart transplant, they said ‘No’. Here I was, with all my organs in failure and on total life-support, punctured lungs and far from a good chance at survival. I’m indeed blessed that the St Vincent’s transplant team reconsidered, said ‘Yes’.
Shortly after my transplant I was lying in my critical care bed, floating in and out of the anaesthetic haze. I was ventilated and therefore unable to speak. I could hear voices calling my name and when I came to, there were five people all peering down at me. The leader was particularly inquisitive, and I later knew him as Dr Chang.
