In April 1984, 14-year-old Fiona Coote made history when she became the youngest recipient of a heart transplant in an operation performed by Dr Victor Chang AC at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney. This landmark procedure made global headlines and established St Vincent’s Heart and Lung program as the hospital’s flagship service.
This April, St Vincent’s Curran Foundation celebrated 40 years of the Heart Transplant program at the annual Heart Lung Innovation Dinner. We were honoured to have Fiona Coote AM join us with Prime Minister the Hon Anthony Albanese paying tribute to her legacy and the many lives saved since her procedure.
We welcomed NSW Minister for Health and Medical Research, the Hon Ryan Park MP, along with several Sisters of Charity, St Vincent’s clinicians, and many generous supporters. Australian music legend Jimmy Barnes AO also shared his recent life-saving heart surgery experience at St Vincent’s in a moving Q&A with Dr Paul Jansz, Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery.
We were delighted to announce major donations to support the redevelopment of the hospital’s Interventional Cardiology Suites, including visionary contributions from the Sutton Family and the JW & M Cunningham Foundation. We thank both families for their extraordinary support.
Les Schirato AM and Luisa Schirato continue to support the Minimally Invasive Valve Clinical Trials program led by Prof David Muller, marking over 15 years of generous contributions. We were also thrilled to announce a major commitment from Daniel and Carolyn Petre and the Petre Foundation towards the St Vincent’s Mechanical Circulatory Support Research Program, led by Prof Chris Hayward, as a part of the national Artificial Heart Frontiers Program.
Guests enjoyed award-winning wines from Levantine Hill, owned by the Jreissati family. Since 2017, they have generously supported our Foundation’s events and we are grateful for their ongoing support. As we mark the 40th anniversary of St Vincent’s Heart Lung Innovation, it is vital that we continue investing in the best facilities and technology to keep more hearts beating into the future. The medical advancements achieved since 1984 have helped St Vincent’s undertake more than 1,250 heart transplants, 1000 lung transplants and 100 combined heart and lung transplants.
This year’s end of financial year appeal raised over $304,000 for the Heart Lung clinic’s redevelopment, offering personalised care for chronic heart conditions and transplant patients, including monitoring, medication, and social work support. A key purchase will be a new-generation cardiac monitoring system, which allows clinicians to closely monitor heart rhythms and blood pressure, enabling immediate response in emergencies.
Ilana Paull, a grateful St Vincent’s patient, wanted to express her thanks to all donors: “St Vincent’s helped save my life. Without the support of the clinic, I may not be alive today.”