On May 31, 1968, Albert Murphy of Chomedy, Quebec becomes the recipient of Canada's first heart transplant. The 59-year-old retired butcher had been suffering from a degenerative heart disease for 15 years. "He was very glad... and very courageous" reports his wife, Lebea, who spoke to him before the surgery. The mood however turns cautious following Murphy's four-hour operation. Dr. Pierre Grodin, Montreal Heart Institute's chief surgeon who led the operation, tells reporters that he remains hopeful but concerned for the world's 18th heart transplant recipient

• Albert Murphy received the heart of a 38-year-old mother of four who had died from a massive brain hemorrhage.

• Murphy died 41 hours later from complications from the donor's heart being too small to maintain Murphy's blood pressure.

• The world's first open heart transplant operation took place on Dec. 3, 1967, in South Africa. Dr. Christiaan Barnard headed a team of 30 doctors and nurses during a nine-hour surgery on 55-year-old Louis Washkansky. The recipient lived for 18 days.

• South African Philip Blaiberg, Dr. Barnard's second patient who is mentioned in the radio clip, lived for 19 months with his new heart.

• On Aug. 3, 1989, Dr. Wilbert Keon of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute performed the first Canadian neo-natal heart transplant on an 11-day-old infant. For more on this story visit CBC Archives: New heart for newborn baby

• By 1987, thanks to advances in medicine, particularly cyclosporine which reduces the risk of organ rejection, 80 per cent of patients lived at least one year. Some have survived more than 10 years with new hearts.

• Currently (2006) more than 3,000 transplants are performed each year worldwide.

Medium: Radio
Program: CBC Radio News
Broadcast Date: May 31, 1968
Hosts: John O'Leary, Bill Paul, Reporter: Jan Lazowski
Guest(s): Pierre Grondin, Lebea Murphy
Duration: 5:25