A group of former patients visited Harefield Hospital more than 30 years after receiving heart transplants.
The visit was organised by patient Willem Bavinck, who had his heart transplant at Harefield 36 years ago. Willem, who travelled from his home in Holland to come to the event, said: “It’s very emotional to come back. It was here that I started my second life. When I left here I started to live again, it was a second chance.
“I was expecting one, two, three years maximum. I realise I’m very lucky because 36 years ago a donor was matched to me and I was a young guy, so I was fit, which makes the possibility of living longer after transplant more likely.”
Willem was 27-years-old when he was transplanted by Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub. Professor Yacoub carried out Harefield’s first heart transplant in 1980 and since then more than 3,000 transplant operations have been carried out at the Trust.
Returning for this special event, Willem was reunited with former Harefield cardiologist Dr Andrew Mitchell, who said: “It was a pleasure to come back to Harefield and to meet former patients and colleagues.
“I last saw Willem 11 years ago in Holland when he was 25 years transplanted. It’s wonderful that he decided to come over because it gives the chance to think about what's gone on since his transplant all those years ago.
“Going back to 1983/84, when many of our patients had their surgery, we were saying ‘great, we have someone who’s lived three years’ and none of us thought about 10 years or 20 years. Now we don’t bat an eyelid at 20 years or even 30. It really is quite fantastic.”
I was expecting one, two, three years maximum. I realise I’m very lucky because 36 years ago a donor was matched to me and I was a young guy, so I was fit, which makes the possibility of living longer after transplant more likely.
