Dr. Victor Chang was a renowned Australian cardiac surgeon and a pioneer of modern heart transplantation in Australia. He was born on November 21, 1936, in Shanghai, China, and grew up in Hong Kong. In 1951, Chang moved to Australia with his family and later studied medicine at the University of Sydney. After completing his studies, he traveled to the United States, where he worked at the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic, gaining experience in heart surgery.
Chang returned to Australia in 1972 and founded the St Vincent’s Hospital Heart Transplant Unit in Sydney. He performed the first successful heart transplant in Australia in 1984, which brought him international recognition. However, on July 4, 1991, Chang was tragically murdered in a botched extortion attempt. His death was a great loss to the medical community, and his legacy continues to inspire many to this day.
Chang was survived by his wife, Ann Simmons, whom he married in 1968. Simmons was an English-born nurse who met Chang while he was working as an on-call emergency physician at St. Anthony’s Hospital in North Cheam, London. Simmons was a remarkable woman known for her support and dedication to her husband’s groundbreaking career in cardiac surgery. After Chang’s death, Simmons continued to support his legacy, and in 1994, she established the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in his honor.
Dr Victor Chang’s Personal Life
Dr Victor Chang was a renowned cardiac surgeon who made significant contributions to the field of heart transplantation in Australia. Beyond his professional achievements, he had a rich personal life that was marked by his marriage to Ann Simmons and his dedication to his family.
Ann Simmons – Wife of Victor Chang
Ann Simmons was the wife of Dr Victor Chang, a hair stylist whom he met and married in London while he was training as a cardiac surgeon. She was a board director and an active fundraiser for the Victor Chang Foundation, which was established in 1984 to support his research and humanitarian work.
Despite the tragic death of her husband in 1991, Ann remained committed to the Foundation’s mission and continued to work tirelessly to raise funds for heart research. She has largely kept herself out of the public eye and prefers to maintain a low profile.
Dr Victor Chang Family
Dr Victor Chang was born on November 21, 1936, in Shanghai, China. He grew up in Hong Kong and later moved to Sydney, Australia, where he completed his medical training. He was the youngest of four siblings and had two brothers and a sister.
Dr Chang was married to Ann Simmons and together they had three children: Vanessa, Matthew, and Marcus. Vanessa is a doctor, while Matthew and Marcus are both successful businessmen.
Dr Chang’s untimely death in 1991 was a great loss to his family and the medical community. However, his legacy lives on through the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, which was established in his honor to continue his groundbreaking work in the field of heart transplantation.
Dr Victor Chang’s Professional Journey
Dr Victor Chang was a renowned cardiac surgeon who made significant contributions to the field of heart transplantation. His journey to becoming a pioneering surgeon began in his childhood.
Victor Chang’s Childhood
Victor Chang was born on November 21, 1936, in Shanghai, China. He was the fourth of five children in a family of Chinese origin. When Chang was just six years old, his family moved to Hong Kong to escape the Japanese invasion of China.
Chang’s parents were both doctors, and he was inspired by their work. He attended medical school at the University of Sydney and later trained as a cardiac surgeon in London.
Victor Chang’s Timeline
After completing his training in London, Chang returned to Australia in 1972 to establish a heart transplant program at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney. He performed his first successful heart transplant in 1984 and went on to perform more than 400 heart transplants in his career.
Chang was also a co-founder of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, which was established in 1994 to continue his work in cardiac research. Tragically, Chang was murdered in 1991 in a failed extortion attempt.
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute is a world-renowned research center dedicated to improving the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart disease. The institute’s research focuses on understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of heart disease and developing new therapies to treat it.
The institute is home to more than 200 researchers and staff and is supported by a network of donors and supporters around the world. The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute continues to honor Victor Chang’s legacy by advancing the field of cardiac research and improving the lives of patients with heart disease.