- Title: SOUTH AFRICA: CAPE TOWN FUNERAL OF LOUIS WASHKANSKY
- Date: 23rd December 1967
- Summary: TABLE MOUNTAIN; SYNAGOGUE ENTRANCE; RABBI - SERVICE IN PROGRESS; PROCESSION WITH BEARERS; DR. MAURICE BARNARD & DR. MARTHINUS BOTHA; MRS. WASHKANSKY; COFFIN CARRIED TO GRAVE AND LOWERED; SOIL THROWN INTO GRAVE; MRS. WASHKANSKY AT GRAVESIDE; GRAVE. Initials IF/VS/CR/MJB Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 7th January 1968 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
- Country: South Africa
- Reuters ID: LVA1UUZCTO6NHZDG3ODV63YVUWMD
- Story Text: LOUIS WASHKANSKY, THE MAN WHO SURVIVED THE FIRST HEART TRANSPLANT OPERATION ONLY TO DIE OF PNEUMONIA 18 DAYS LATER, WAS BURIED IN CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA, YESTERDAY (22 DECEMBER).
HUNDREDS OF MOURNES ATTENDED THE FUNERAL, CONDUCTED BY RABBI ISRAEL ABRAHAMS. MRS. WASHKANSKY AND HER SON MICHAEL JOINED MANY RELATIVES AT THE PINELANDS CEMETERY, SIX MILES (NINE KILOMETRES) FROM THE CENTRE OF CAPE TOWN.
THE HOSPITAL TEAM THAT PERFORMED THE TRANSPLANT WAS REPRESENTED BY DR. MAURICE BARNARD, BROTHER OF PROFESSOR CHRIS BARNARD UNDER WHOM THEY WORKED IN THE GROOTE SCHUUR HOSPITAL. DR. MARTHINUS BOTHA, THE TEAM'S PATHOLOGIST, WAS THE LEADING PALL BEARER.
RABBI ISRAEL ABRAHAMS SAID MR. WASHKANSKY, GIVEN THE HEART OF ROAD ACCIDENT VICTIM DENISE DARVALL IN A HISTORY-MAKING OPERATION ON DECEMBER 3, HAD INSPIRED MANY WITH A HOPE THAT WOULD NEVER DIE. 'THE FIGHT FOR MR. WASHKANSKY'S LIFE BECAME A FIG??? FOR ALL HUMAN LIFE', SAID THE RABBI. LATER, IN JOHANNESBURG, PROFESSOR BARNARD REAFFIRMED THAT HIS TEAM WAS PLANNING MORE HEART TRANSPLANT OPERATIONS 'IN A MONTH OR TWO'. A 63-YEAR-OLD JOHANNESBURG RETIRED RABBI, MR. EIDELMAN, SAID YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO BE NEXT ON THE LIST FOR A HEART TRANSPLANT OPERATION.
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