The Grade 6s have embarked on an exciting learning journey during IBL this term, exploring the fascinating history of medicine and groundbreaking developments in surgery. This week, they were eager to learn about Dr. Christiaan Barnard and the world’s first heart transplant. The visit to The Heart Museum proved to be a valuable and inspiring experience, allowing our learners to see history come alive through interactive exhibits and real-life stories. Their curiosity has been sparked, and they were asking thought-provoking questions. We look forward to uncovering more remarkable medical developments and innovations over the next few weeks.
Some of their questions:
- What is the longest time a heart has been removed from someone before doing a transplant?
- Why do they not just store the blood in big containers and put it in a freezer/fridge?
- Is it possible to make a robotic heart that functions like a human heart?
- How long will you live without your heart beating?
- How can the heart go in the chest, but also are all hearts the same, and will the heart work better if it is the same gender or age?
- How do they keep the heart beating when they carry it from the donor to the patient?
- How do the doctors know where to reconnect the heart, and where to cut in the first place?
