On 3 December 1967, the medical world witnessed an epoch-making breakthrough when South African surgeon Dr Christiaan Barnard performed the first human heart transplant at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town.
The recipient, 53-year-old Louis Washkansky, who suffered from chronic heart disease, received the heart of a young accident victim, Denise Darvall.
Although Washkansky lived only 18 days post-surgery, succumbing to pneumonia due to immune suppression, the procedure marked the dawn of a new era in organ transplantation, blending innovation with hope for countless patients worldwide.
