by Sheetal Makhan / AYC
Last week Thursday, my High Intermediate class visited the Heart of Cape Town Museum at Groote Schuur Hospital. It was an excursion that drew on the theme for the week – “Medicine”. Students were taken on a tour and were able to relive the historic moment of the first heart transplant performed by Dr Chris Barnard. Photos of the visit can be viewed on our Facebook page.
Here are some comments from students about the visit:
It was an astonishing moment in my life. I’ll tell everyone who I know when I go back home what I’ve seen in the Heart of CT Museum. Yesterday, I felt that I was part of the medical team who performed the first heart transplant in the world. Thank you Teacher Sheetal for giving us the great opportunity for that experience.
-Ghazi
Certainly, it was a great experience to learn about the greatest legend, Christian Barnard, who did the first heart transplant. Really, the world had lost a man who could spend all his life dedicating to to help other peoples lives. He came from a poor family and studied at UCT. One of the things I admire about him is that he did a PhD during ten years.
-Lionnel
It was so cool, to be at the place where one of the most famous person had done one of the most important operation to give a life to a patient. It added something special for me because it is my field. He tried to do something and was successful.
-Ebtihal
I really enjoyed going to the Heart of CT Museum because I could practice my English. The guide was a good speaker and also spoke about really interesting things. I could also ask a couple of things. Chris Barnard was brilliant at fixing hearts, but also he broke women’s hearts! Sometimes it’s nice to know about someone else’s life to think about my own life.
-Juliana
Doctor Chris Barnard is a hero for me. His life gives me hope and courage. My entire life has been impacted by people like Barnard. Yesterday, I shared Barnard’s history with a close friend of mine who’s facing a difficult situation. Thanks to our Teacher, Sheetal, who gave us the opportunity to visit this museum, I’d like to acknowledge the people who are working hard to keep alive the memory of this event (first heart transplant_ and everybody who was involved in it: Medical team, recipient, donor, Donor’s family and authorities.
-Artur
The heart is just a pump, push blood everywhere. Human beings can make a lot of nice things to themselves. Dr Barnard had a broken heart, like who works in a bakery and sleeps in cold.
-Mohamed Mohamed
He gave all of his time to help and save others lives, but when we needed the help to save his life. He didn’t find anyone.
-Kareem
Yesterday was a great experience for me, but I guess it’s always interesting to learn about a historic fact that everybody thinks they know the story, but at the end they don’t. The story of this first implantation is amazing. In the same time, I feel like very sad and exciting. Sad for the donors and her family, of course and admired by this doctor and his historic act. the movie left me with a strange feeling. By the end, the bad of some, made the happiness of others, and if Denise and her family weren’t at that place at that time, the history of medicine will be different. By the way, Dr Barnard is one of the biggest surgeons in the world. I understand why women all fall for him, not for his physical, but for his intelligence and magnetism personality.
-Nina
~Sheetal Makhan / AYC