Today
In 1988, Professor de Leval set up the transplant unit thanks to a ÂŁ200,000 fundraising appeal. It was one of the first centres in the UK to carry out life-saving transplants on children with heart failure. Chances of survival for babies and small children born with cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle) are very poor, so a transplant can be a lifeline. Today, the programme is one of the largest in the world, performing around 20 heart and lung transplants a year.
Left: Professor de Leval at work.