<P> Fiona Coote was Australia's youngest heart transplant recipient when she underwent surgery at the age of 14 on 8 April 1984 . While Coote was the fourth transplant recipient in Australia, she is only the second to survive for a significant period . </P> <P> Born on 3 January 1970 and growing up on a family farm, Galen, 8 km (5 mi) from Manilla in northern New South Wales, Coote attended a private Catholic school near Tamworth . She married in 1996 . </P> <P> The procedure was performed by the Chinese - Australian cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Victor Chang . The urgency was due to complications of viral - induced tonsilitis, that dramatically weakened her heart . The surgery was performed at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney . When she later began rejecting the first heart, Coote was forced to endure a second transplant, which took place in 1986 . She has enjoyed good health since . </P> <P> Much of Coote's life has been spent in the public eye and she has worked for numerous charitable organisations including the Victor Chang Foundation and the Starlight Foundation . In 1999, Coote was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of her public awareness promotion of heart disease, and for her work raising funds for seriously and terminally ill children . Coote has also worked in promotions for Willow Valley, a cereal manufacturer, and Dairy Farmers . </P>

Who performed the first successful heart transplant in australia