Longest surviving heart transplant recipients reunited with surgeon 40 years later

Two heart transplant recipients marked their 40^th anniversaries at a visit to Harefield Hospital where they were reunited with the surgeon who performed their transplants in 1984.

Bert Janssen and Clive Donaghue underwent heart transplants at Harefield Hospital when they were 18 and 12 years old, respectively. 

Bert, now a 58-year-old father of two living in the Netherlands, needed a heart transplant as a result of developing cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle where the walls of the heart chambers become weak, making it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body.

Bert’s cardiologist in the Netherlands, had close ties with Harefield Hospital and had agreed with Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, now world-renowned as a pioneer in transplantation, to register Bert for a heart transplant, a procedure which at the time had not been performed in the Netherlands.

In 1993, Bert married his wife Petra and welcomed their two sons Guido and Ivo in 1996 and 2000. Bert retired from his job working at a primary school in 2017 and now spends his time maintaining the family home and supporting his wife’s picture framing business.

Clive, now 52 years old, lives in Stevenage with his partner Nicola where he works as a sales manager for a large tech training company. He devotes much of his free time to fitness and is an avid runner and gym-goer.

As a child Clive was diagnosed with familial dilated cardiomyopathy – an inherited form of the same condition as Bert had – and required a heart transplant.

Since his transplant, Clive has been involved in the Harefield Transplant Club, also known as the ‘Harefield Hamsters’. The club works to improve the quality of life for people at Harefield Hospital who are pre- or post-transplant, and their support network including family, friends and carers. Clive has been a committee member since 2022.

On a tour of the hospital on Tuesday 1 October 2024 with Dr Fernando Riesgo Gil, consultant cardiologist and lead of the heart transplantation service at Harefield Hospital, Bert and Clive recalled what life was like as teenagers living with the uncertainty of waiting for their transplants and recovering from their operations.

Bert said: “I came for my transplant from the Netherlands and I didn’t speak much English when I got here. Sometimes that was actually a benefit because I couldn’t always understand so I couldn’t be worried.

“I remember not knowing what people were talking about when they spoke about theatres, I thought they were talking about plays and musicals!”

Clive described a memory from after his time at Harefield: “I remember after my transplant that Professor Yacoub caught me eating a cream cake in my room. I was meant to be on a restrictive diet following the surgery but he wasn’t angry with me. He was just so happy to see me happy.”

Bert, Clive and their families were reunited with Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, who performed both of their transplant operations in 1984. They were also reunited with their cardiologist who treated them after their transplants, Dr Andrew Mitchell, and a previous sister in the transplant clinic who worked at Harefield from the 1980s to 2021, Rita Presnail.

Professor Yacoub now spends the majority of his time leading charitable work to deliver cardiac care to children in developing countries through his charity, Chain of Hope.

He spoke with Bert and Clive about what their journey means to him: “I remember the long nights. I remember the doubts and criticism from the public, the newspapers and some of my colleagues. People questioned why I would try to do these transplant procedures, particularly on children.

“People assumed that the transplanted organs would only last a couple of years in children because they wouldn’t grow as the child grew, and so the operation would be pointless. But look at you, you’ve proved everyone wrong!

“Now when I see you here today with your families, I know that it has all been worthwhile. There is more to come in the future, and I was just a cog in the wheel, moving things forward for humanity.”

Petra, Bert’s wife, spoke with Professor Yacoub about the impact of her husband’s transplant journey on their family: “We are just so happy to be here and have a normal life.

“I remember when we were teenagers and Bert was unwell. When he went to Harefield, he told me to leave him and find another guy because he didn’t want to burden me. I didn’t listen to him and now we have this wonderful life together.

“We wouldn’t have all of this without you and without Harefield Hospital. It is unbelievable what you did all those years ago and what you are still doing for others in need.”

Bert was recognised as one of the world’s longest heart transplant survivors earlier this year and celebrated 40 years of his heart on 6 June 2024. Clive will celebrate 40 years of his heart on 27 October 2024.