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Fiona Coote
Fiona Coote is a heart transplant recipient who, upon undergoing surgery, by Dr. Victor Chang, at the age of 14 on 8 April 1984, became Australia's youngest heart transplant recipient.[1][2] While Coote was the fourth transplant recipient in Australia, she is only the second to survive for a significant period.[3][4] Personal lifeBorn on 3 January 1970 and growing up on a family farm, Galen, 8 km (5 mi) from Manilla in northern New South Wales, Coote attended a private Catholic school near Tamworth.[5] She married in 1996.[6][7] Heart transplantThe procedure was performed by the Chinese–Australian cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Victor Chang.[8] The urgency was due to complications of viral-induced tonsilitis that dramatically weakened her heart.[2][8] The surgery was performed at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney.[8] When she later began rejecting the first heart, Coote was forced to endure a second transplant, which took place in 1986.[2] She has enjoyed good health since.[8] Post transplantMuch of Coote's life has been spent in the public eye and she has worked for numerous charitable organisations including the Victor Chang Foundation and the Starlight Foundation.[5] In 1999, Coote was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of her public awareness promotion of heart disease, and for her work raising funds for seriously and terminally ill children.[9] Coote has also worked in promotions for Willow Valley, a cereal manufacturer, and Dairy Farmers.[10] As a result of her fame, Coote was approached to appear in the Australian soap Neighbours. Despite beginning rehearsals, Coote ultimately decided acting was not for her.[citation needed] Channel Ten publicly blamed the back down on illness[11] but Coote later attributed it to the associated pressure to participate in interviews and publicity for the show.[5] Coote has made a number of television appearances, including appearing in a segment on Burke's Backyard. In 2001 a rose was named in honour of Coote. Called "Fiona's Wish", it is a hybrid tea (bush rose) and the bi-coloured blooms are cherry red, edged with gold reverse.[12] References
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