Norval - Defining Moments

Published by Zebra Press
an imprint of Random House Struik (Pty) Ltd
Reg. No. 1966/003153/07
80 McKenzie Street, Cape Town, 8001
PO Box 1144, Cape Town, 8000 South Africa

www.zebrapress.co.za

First published 2011

Publication Zebra Press 2011
Text Marius Barnard and Simon Norval 2011

Cover photograph Don McKenzie

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owners.

Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission for the use of copyright material. The publisher apologises for any errors or omissions, and would be grateful if notified of any corrections that should be incorporated in future reprints or editions of this book.

PUBLISHER : Marlene Fryer
MANAGING EDITOR : Robert Plummer
EDITOR : Beth Housdon
PROOFREADER : Lisa Compton
COVER DESIGNER : Michiel Botha
INDEXER : Sanet le Roux

ISBN 978 1 77022 154 3 (print)
ISBN 978 1 77022 201 4 (ePub)
ISBN 978 1 77022 202 1 (PDF)

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To my beloved parents for the enormous sacrifices they made for me,
and for their unwavering love and devotion;
to my beloved wife, Inez, who, with her guidance and loyal support,
has endured me through thick and thin for sixty years;
and to my brother Chris, without whom this book
would not have been written

S CALPEL !

This single command sets the tone for the life story of my father, Dr Marius Stephanus Barnard.

Born to missionary parents of modest means in the desolate Karoo town of Beaufort West, he dreamt of seeing the wonders of the world and achieving great things, and these he certainly did.

Defining Moments follows his extraordinary life, beginning with his early days in racially divided Beaufort West and his medical studies in Cape Town and following him to Southern Rhodesia, where he practised as a general practitioner and started a family. It documents his surgical research at Cape Towns Groote Schuur Hospital and in Houston, and tracks his return to South Africa, where he was an integral member of the surgical team, led by his brother Chris, that performed the worlds first human-to-human heart transplant. With candour and humility he describes the preparation, execution and aftermath of this historic operation and those that followed and reveals the full impact on his life and his familys of being thrust suddenly onto the world stage.

As he recounts his triumphs and defeats, opinions and personal anecdotes, he highlights the defining moments of his life from three perspectives: medicine, politics and medical insurance. He tells of the experiences, frustrations and achievements of his life as a cardiac surgeon in communist Romania and Poland, a member of parliament in Cape Town and a critical illness insurance pioneer all over the world, commenting on his increasingly difficult and ultimately untenable relationships with hostile Nationalist Party government officials, hospital authorities and his brother Chris, with whom he had a complex and at times acrimonious relationship.

As the book reveals, he has also played the role of part-time writer, speech giver and raconteur, has been involved in the work of a number of organisations and has established or officiated over several worthy funds.

My father writes with searing honesty and his accounts, peppered with his typical sense of humour, are always underpinned by an unwavering religious faith. The book portrays a man with boundless compassion, relentless energy and dry wit, someone who has long courted controversy and shunned the trappings of fame to fulfil his fathers wish to treat his fellow man with respect, dignity and God-given love.

Today, Dr Marius Barnard, my father, is eighty-three years old. His extraordinary life journey, with all its twists and turns, has been undertaken with determination, dignity and grace.

This is the personal account of a man who is finally at peace with himself and the world, and one that reflects the rich and rewarding legacy of his lifes defining moments.

ADAM HENDRIK BARNARD

CAPE TOWN

JANUARY 2011

You only live once but if you do it right, once is enough.

JOE E. LEWIS

I HAVE BEEN MEANING TO WRITE A BOOK FOR MANY YEARS NOW . AT last, it has become a reality and, as I look back, I really have to say, Boy, what a life it has been!

I grew up surrounded by the beauty and wonder of the extraordinary Karoo and, paradoxically, endured intolerance and hardships during my youth in the small Karoo town of Beaufort West.

My years of medical training started at the University of Cape Towns medical school, after which I engaged in medical research and practice in the United Kingdom, Southern Rhodesia, Cape Town and Houston before returning to Cape Town and later Johannesburg.

My active participation in the historic first human heart transplantation at Groote Schuur Hospital was an extraordinary moment in my life and gave rise to a number of unique opportunities. It paved the way for me to be able to improve cardiac surgery techniques, methods and standards in our country and in other parts of the world. I led highly competent teams of South African medical colleagues to Romania and Poland to pass on the knowledge and experience we had gained, at a time when it was considered politically unthinkable for a South African to enter and operate from behind the Iron Curtain.

My involvement in South African politics was largely circumstantial, but the injustices and pure wickedness of apartheid motivated my service as a member of parliament during one of the countrys bleakest periods.

What grew out of experiences with patients worldwide and particularly during my time in private practice was the realisation that a new protection insurance policy was required to provide financial security for patients diagnosed with life-threatening diseases. Eventually the concept of critical illness insurance became a reality, both in South Africa and abroad, and it remains a thriving policy today.

All of these experiences have been professionally and personally challenging, enriching and rewarding. I would like to think that I have been driven by a singular sense of purpose to better the lives of people and to advance medical knowledge where I was able to do so.

But my greatest gift is to have received great love and direction from my missionary parents. My father set a wonderful example for me and his simple yet powerful statement, God is love, is an enduring truth that has been a guiding influence throughout my life.

So, too, have I been blessed with a lifelong marriage to my beloved wife, Inez. She has been the perfect partner, companion and mother to our three children, and has always supported me, through thick and thin.

For all these experiences my defining moments I give thanks to the Almighty God, who gave me life and made all things possible.