Memories flood in on ‘golden’ night
Shire leaders offer to meet and talk
Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au A MT ELIZA couple who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last week have strong links to one of the world’s most important medical achievements. Estelle Gold – who with husband Neil enjoyed their “golden” night at Mornington Golf Club on Friday 12 April – was nurse-in-charge of the transplant unit where famed South African cardiac surgeon Dr Christiaan Barnard performed the first heart transplant in 1967. Ms Gold, then in her 20s, vividly remembers the remarkable day at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, when Dr Barnard performed the “highly political” transplant, the first one in which the patient regained consciousness. The man died 18 days later of pneumonia but the second transplant patient, who Ms Gold says was “much healthier” survived “for years”. “At the time it was so interesting,” she said. “To take the heart out of a patient while the replacement heart is sitting in a kidney bowl waiting to be put in … It was like a science fiction movie.” As part of his preparations for the first human transplant, Dr Barnard had studied reports of kidney and tissue transplants in the US and France, as well as conducting heart-transplant experiments on feral dogs. “The dogs lived, so Dr Barnard knew heart transplants worked but
Let’s celebrate: Fiftieth wedding anniversary couple Estelle and Neil Gold. Pictures: Andrew Hurst
it was very political because the head of the hospital thought it was too experimental to do on humans,” Ms Gold said. “However, Dr Barnard had a lot of end-stage patients and the alternative for them would have been death. “Now, it is commonplace and we have learned all about immune drugs and tissue-typing.”
Arriving in Australia in 1981, after five years in Canada, the Golds moved to Mt Eliza where she became a nurse-educator and Mr Gold set up a spray painting and plastics business in Dandenong. Ms Gold studied for her Bachelor and later Master of Education and taught clinical nursing at various hospitals, including Frankston Hospital and
the former Mt Eliza Hospital where she was head of the nursing school. “Working there was ideal because I could teach in the classroom and then take the nurses straight down to the wards – that is the best way to teach.” Ms Gold retired eight years ago, but the memories and friendships she made will last a lifetime – not the least being in on a world-first operation.
BILLED as a “meeting of minds”, Morninton Peninsula Shire mayor Cr David Gill and CEO John Baker are offering to meet residents to “discuss issues and ideas that affect their local community”. Cr Gill said both he and Mr Baker were “looking forward” to the meetings. “We’re excited to be spending time with residents and hearing from them about what’s happening in their local areas,” he said. “I think we can work together to improve the areas we live in, and these meetings are one way to achieve that goal.” Residents can apply to attend a 25-minute meeting and can request to bring guests to the meeting. During the application process, supporting documents can be submitted for consideration before the meeting takes place. “By holding these meetings each month, we hope to encourage residents to make the most of the opportunity and share ideas and concerns,” CEO John Baker said. The monthly, day time meetings will be held at shire offices in Rosebud, Mornington and Hastings. Details: mornpen.vic.gov.au/ meetthemayor or write to: Councillor Support, Meet the Mayor and CEO, Mornington Peninsula Shire, Private Bag 1000, Rosebud, Victoria, 3939. To apply in person fill out a hard copy application at the shire’s offices at Rosebud, Mornington, Hastings and Somerville, or call 5950 1441.
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Mornington News
23 April 2019
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