Roy Yorke Calne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roy Calne
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A bronze bust of Calne by sculptor Laurence Broderick, outside the main operating theatres at Addenbrooke's Hospital
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| Born | 30 December 1930 Richmond, Surrey, England
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| Died | 6 January 2024 (aged 93) Cambridge, England
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| Education | Lancing College King's College London Guy's Hospital Medical School |
| Medical career | |
| Profession | Surgeon |
| Sub-specialties | Organ transplantation |
| Awards | Lister Medal (1984) Cameron Prize for Therapeutics of the University of Edinburgh (1990) Ernst Jung Prize (1992) Prince Mahidol Award (2002) Pride of Britain Lifetime Achievement Award (2014) |
Sir Roy Yorke Calne (born December 30, 1930 – died January 6, 2024) was a famous British surgeon. He was a true pioneer in the field of organ transplantation. This means he was one of the first and most important people to perform and improve operations where doctors move organs from one person to another.
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Early Life and Family
Roy Calne was born in Richmond, Surrey, England, on December 30, 1930. He studied medicine at Guy's Hospital. In 1956, he married Patricia Whelan, who was a nurse. They had six children together. Sir Roy Calne passed away in Cambridge on January 6, 2024, when he was 93 years old.
Amazing Work in Organ Transplants
Sir Roy Calne made huge advancements in organ transplantation. This is a special type of surgery where a diseased or damaged organ is replaced with a healthy one from a donor. His work helped save many lives.
- In 1968, he performed the first liver transplantation operation in Europe. This was a very big deal!
- In 1987, he worked with John Wallwork to perform the world's first combined liver, heart, and lung transplant. Imagine doing all three at once!
- He also performed the first intestinal transplant in the UK in 1992.
- In 1994, he led the team that did the first successful combined transplant of the stomach, intestine, pancreas, liver, and kidney. This was a very complex surgery.
Sir Roy Calne was a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a group of the most important scientists in the UK. He was a Professor of Surgery at Cambridge University from 1965 to 1998. While there, he started the kidney transplant program. He also worked at Harvard Medical School in the United States. A lot of his later work focused on making immunosuppression techniques better. These techniques use medicines to stop the body from rejecting a new organ, helping transplant patients live longer.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Sir Roy Calne received many awards for his groundbreaking work.
- He was chosen to be a member of the Royal Society in 1974.
- In 1984, he was given the Lister Medal for his important contributions to surgical science.
- He was made a knight in 1986, so he became "Sir Roy Calne."
- In 1990, he received the Cameron Prize for Therapeutics of the University of Edinburgh.
- In 2012, Sir Roy Calne shared the famous Lasker Award with Dr. Thomas Starzl. They won this award for developing liver transplantation, which has given a normal life back to thousands of patients with severe liver disease.
Sir Roy Calne was also a member and supporter of Humanists UK.
Art and Creativity
Besides being a brilliant surgeon, Sir Roy Calne was also an artist! He was part of an art group called Group 90 in Singapore. Many of his artworks, including paintings and sculptures, are held in the Amerasinghe Ganendra Collection.
Gallery
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Gertrude Elion. Oil painting by Sir Roy Calne, 1990.
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An empty abdomen during a six-organ transplant. Watercolour by Sir Roy Calne, 1994.
