A WIDOW'S ROLE IN HISTORIC HEART TRANSPLANT

THE woman who played a significant role in South African history after she granted permission for her coloured husband’s heart to be used for the world’s second heart transplant, on a white doctor during apartheid, has died.

- GENEVIEVE SERRA

Dorothy Jacobs, previously Haupt, 81, passed away on July 1 and is expected to be laid to rest next week.

The Cape Argus spoke with her only child, Angelo Jacobs, 51, and his wife, Bronwyn Jacobs, 48, from Mitchell's Plain, who relayed the pivotal role she played in history.

Jacobs was married to Clive Haupt in 1968 for three months and lived in Salt River.

They were both factory workers.

During a visit to Fish Hoek beach, Haupt suffered a stroke and later died.

His body was taken to Groote Schuur Hospital where Dr Barnard had performed the world’s first human heart transplant just a year earlier, in 1967, on Louis Washkansky.

Haupt had a strong heart that could be harvested for a second recipient, Dr Philip Blaiberg.

According to historical news reports about the day in question, Barnard had asked Blaiberg whether he would agree to receiving a “coloured man’s heart’, to which he agreed and permission had to be granted from Jacobs.

The transplant itself went on to make history with Blaiberg having lived for 563 days post surgery.