Dr Mark O'Brien: a tribute by a former patient

My name is Rosaria Cuthbert (nee Messina). Today I heard the sad news of the passing of a wonderful man, the heart surgeon responsible for me being alive today. Why you may ask?

Well, on April 16, 1970, Dr. Mark O'Brien performed a miracle, an 11-hour open heart surgery on me, creating history as I was the first Queensland girl to have the surgery at the age of 11 years. So, 55 years later, I am still alive and I have Dr. O'Brien to thank for that. In fact, years later, at one of my check-up visits with Dr. O'Brien, I tried to thank him. He brushed that aside with a beautiful smile and said, 'Just think that your birthday was 16 April 1970.' So I can claim to be 55 instead of 66.

There were three of us fortunate children then: on the day before my surgery, a young 8-year-old boy, Cameron Shaw, and on 17 April, a 10-year-old girl, Deborah Joyce. All survived this new major surgery.

We spent five weeks in The Chermside Chest Hospital, now known as Prince Charles Hospital.

While in hospital one morning, a nurse came into our room and told us to get dressed because a photographer was coming to get a story and take photos. I refused to have my photo taken, so the nurse called Dr. O'Brien to talk to me. He sat on the bed and with his soft, calm voice said, 'You have to have the photo because the world knows you were a sick little girl, and now they need to know you are better with this operation.' My response? 'Yes, you can have the story but not a photo.' So Dr. O'Brien got the nurse to ring my parents. They arrived in a few minutes, Mum got me dressed and did my hair with the tiniest pigtails and made me have my photo taken.

The photo and story appeared in the Courier Mail on May 10, 1970. The heading: 'Their School is in Hospital.' I have had a good life because of that surgery that Dr. Mark O'Brien performed.

So how do you thank such a wonderful man, a man who is more than a professional heart surgeon?

I often wonder how life fared for Cameron Shaw and Deborah Joyce.

Dr. O'Brien, I will always be grateful for your expertise and for helping me. You will be missed by everyone who knew you. The world has lost an angel.