David Rockefeller was born in one of the richest and most influential families in the world. His grandfather was a dollar billionaire, and older brothers held high positions in the US government. He himself is famous for his progressive views on the world order, his contribution to the development of business, and his desire to make this world a better place.
However, there is one more fact from his biography, thanks to which the whole world today knows who David Rockefeller is. The heart transplant, which he once again recently experienced, again riveted close attention to him. Today, David is not only a public figure, but also an object of observation of the luminaries of medicine from around the world. What is so unusual in his story?
A new heart for a millionaire
Back in 1976, a car accident occurred, with which it all began. Rockefeller David also suffered from its consequences. Heart transplantation in those days was a real innovation, many methods were new for their time, and the experience of surgeons could not be compared with what current transplantologists have. But a direct threat to life made an urgent decision. And it was adopted in favor of a donor organ transplant operation.
Everything went well. A new heart beat in the chest of a millionaire, the patient had a good surgery. Of course, since then he had to undergo a series of examinations regularly and be constantly monitored by doctors.
Years passed, hearts changed ...
However, the story did not end there. Sensational articles over and over again hit the frontlines of the press, the main patient being the same patient, Rockefeller David. A heart transplant performed in 1976 was the first in a series of similar operations.
The state of health again and again forced the millionaire to lie down on the operating table. In total, for a long life, his heart was transplanted 6 times and two more times - kidneys.
Record holder
Today, David is one of the richest people on the planet, but according to Forbes, he is not even in the first hundred. In the ranking of the richest in front of him are six hundred more rich.
But you can definitely say that David still owns a couple of records. He is the oldest member of the famous family. And doctors say that the most famous long-lived survivor of transplantation, and even in such numbers, is David Rockefeller. Six heart transplants - no joke! A similar case today has no analogues in medical practice, but this is due not so much to the rich man’s good health as to his financial capabilities. After all, everyone knows that the operation for transplantation of a donor organ requires huge costs and, what is more, to hide, connections and influence. And this Rockefeller family does not occupy.
Sixth transplant
“I will live to be 200!” - jokingly claims David Rockefeller. The 6 heart transplants, which he endured well, inspire him with confidence that he will be full of strength for a long time to come. It is worth noting that in his 101 year, David is quite active and cheerful.
He survived the last transplant in his hundredth year of life. The six-hour operation was carried out by a team of specialists right at his residence. The patient, despite his advanced age, quickly came to his senses and recovered. Already on the second day after the operation, he gave a press conference and received congratulations from family and friends.
Centenarian tips
When asked how he managed to live such a long life, David Rockefeller replies that the whole secret is in love and sharing. Born in a wealthy family, he himself always loved to work, which brought considerable results. But why does a person need wealth if he cannot share it with others, helping those who need it? David does not see the point in stinginess and unreasonable frugality. He easily parted with money. The press calls him one of the most famous philanthropists of our time.
And a millionaire is able to appreciate simple things, to see beauty in what surrounds him. He is a loyal friend and a faithful family man, about which he repeatedly spoke in an interview.
“The love of life, the love of those around, is the most important thing! - David Rockefeller assures, “Heart transplantation operations gave me strength every time, breathed life into me”. He believes that the organs of donors have contributed, helped him live to the century. This is where his jokes about the 200th anniversary come from: he seems confident that he must also live for those who have left young, leaving their hearts for transplantation.
The hopes of transplantologists
Doctors call the case incredible. After all, the age of the patient is one of the main factors by which the risks before surgery are determined. In this regard, not a famous millionaire appears before science, but an ordinary person - Rockefeller David.
Heart transplantation today is considered one of the most difficult operations, which sometimes becomes an overload even for patients half to three times younger than him. The experience of such operations is simply invaluable, because in the world there is a shortage of donor organs and a lack of specialists. However, the results of new developments allow us to hope that in the near future such operations will be available for ordinary people, and not only for members of the most influential families in the world.