- Louis Washkansky
Louis Washkansky (1913 –
21 December 1967 ) was the recipient of the world's first humanheart transplant .Washkansky was a
Lithuanian Jew , who migrated with his friends toSouth Africa in 1922, aged nine, and became agrocer inCape Town . Washkansky saw active service inWorld War II in East andNorth Africa andItaly .Washkansky was an avid sportsman. He took part in
soccer ,swimming , andweightlifting . However, late in his life his health declined substantially: he was diabetic, and had an incurable heart disease, causing him to suffer three heart attacks. The last of these heart attacks led tocongestive heart failure .He received his
heart transplant on3 December 1967 , at theGroote Schuur Hospital inCape Town ,South Africa . The donor wasDenise Darvall , who had recently been critically injured in acar accident , and the procedure was performed by ProfessorChristiaan Barnard . It was a success, but Washkansky had a weakened immune system and died of double pneumonia eighteen days after the transplant.His grandson,
Dale Washkansky , is a South African artist.See also
*
Christiaan Barnard
*Heart transplant External links
* [http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/people/bios/Louis-w.htm South African history: Louis Washkansky]
Organ transplantation
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