Woman comes face to face with her own heart
Rushda:
September 4th, 2007
An incredible story emerged today of a 23-year-old woman who, after undergoing heart transplant surgery, can now actually see her own old heart behind a glass display at a medical exhibition. After Jennifer Sutton from Hampshire had the surgery earlier this year, she agreed to donate her damaged heart to the Wellcome Collection in central London, and it can now be seen by anyone, including her.
Understandably, the viewing of her heart (a picture of which can be seen here) was a particularly emotional experience for Jennifer who had long suffered from restrictive cardiomyopathy. She says:
“Seeing my heart for the first time is an emotional and surreal experience. It caused me so much pain and turmoil when it was inside me. Seeing it sitting here is extremely bizarre and very strange. Finally I can see this odd looking lump of muscle that has given me so much upset.”
The exhibition is designed to raise public awareness of medical issues surrounding the heart. It also highlights the serious need in Britain for there to be more donors as the average wait for heart patients is 103 days. Last year almost 30 patients died whilst waiting for a transplant.