Victor Chang was a Chinese-born Australian cardiologist and surgeon who was known for his pioneering work in heart and heart-lung transplantation.
He also helped develop artificial heart valves and other devices that could be used in heart surgery.
He was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia for his service to medical science and international relations between Australia and China.
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Who was Victor Chang?
Chang was born in Shanghai to Australian-born Chinese British parents. He grew up in Hong Kong, where he attended primary school in Kowloon Tong and spent two years in St. Paul’s College.
Chang’s father Aubrey sent him and his younger sister to Sydney in 1951 to stay with extended family.
He attended Belmore Boys’ High School in Belmore and completed his secondary education at Christian Brothers’ High School in Lewisham.
On 7 April 1948, Chang’s mother died from breast cancer at the age of 33, prompting him to consider a career in medicine at the age of 12.
He undertook his tertiary education at the University of Sydney, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Medical Science with First-Class Honours and a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery in 1962.
Victor Chang Career
Medical training: Worked at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, trained in the United Kingdom and the United States as a cardiac surgeon.
Heart transplantation pioneer: Helped establish the National Cardiac Transplant Unit at St Vincent’s Hospital, performed Australia’s first heart transplant in 1984, and the world’s first heart-lung transplant in 1986.
Artificial heart valve developer: Pioneered the development of an artificial heart valve with the formation of Pacific Biomedical Enterprises in Singapore.
Awards and honours: Appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1986 for his service to medical science and international relations, voted Australian of the Century in 1999 by the People’s Choice Awards, had the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and the Victor Chang Lowy Packer Building named after him.
Murder and legacy: Shot and killed by two men in a failed extortion attempt in 1991, given a state funeral, inspired the creation of the Victor Chang Foundation to support his research and humanitarian work.
Dr Victor Chang cause of death
Victor Chang died on 4 July 1991 after being shot twice in the head by two men who tried to extort money from him.
His body was found slumped in the gutter next to his Mercedes-Benz 500SL in the Sydney suburb of Mosman.
Two Malaysian men, Chew Seng (Ah Sung) Liew and Choon Tee (Phillip) Lim, picked Chang at random from a magazine featuring Asians who had ‘made it good’ in Australia.
They ran their Toyota Corolla into Chang’s vehicle, forcing him to pull over. After getting into an argument with Chang, who refused to give them money, Liew fired the fatal shots.
The first shot entered near the right cheek and exited below the right ear while the fatal second, fired from point-blank range, entered the right temple and passed through the brain.
Police investigators initially suspected the involvement of Triad syndicates but later concluded the killing was an amateur act.
Victor Chang wife
Victor Chang’s wife was Ann Lois Simmons, a hair stylist. He met and married her in London, where he trained 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.
Victor Chang children
Victor Chang had three children: a daughter named Vanessa and two sons named Matthew and Marcus.
Vanessa Chang is the current chairperson of the Victor Chang Foundation, which supports education and innovation in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery.
Matthew and Marcus Chang are both doctors, following their father’s footsteps.
Victor Chang family
Victor Chang’s family list is:
Father: Aubrey Chang, a businessman and a British citizen.
Mother: May Lee, a housewife and a British citizen, died of breast cancer in 1948.
Sister: Margaret Chang, a younger sister, moved to Sydney with Victor in 1951.
Wife: Ann Lois Simmons, a hair stylist, met and married Victor in London, where he trained as a cardiac surgeon.
Children: Vanessa Chang, Matthew Chang, and Marcus Chang, all born in Sydney.
Victor Chang net worth
Victor Chang’s net worth is estimated to be between $1 million and $5 million, according to various sources.
However, this is not an official or verified figure, and it may not reflect his actual net worth.
Source: www.www.atinkanews.net
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