English
Christiaan Barnard
Christiaan Barnard was a South African cardiac surgeon who performed the world's first successful…
Reads at Pre-K Listens at Pre-K–1
Print & create
Answer keys·No prep·Free with an account
28 worksheets · answer keys · full story · quiz · Ages 3-5 · CEFR A1
Plus adds 279,000+ more stories in 27 languages, audio for every one, and printables for all of them.
Just want Christiaan Barnard?
Hello. My name is Christiaan Barnard. I was a special kind of doctor who took care of people's hearts. A long, long time ago, in the year 1922, I was born in a sunny place called South Africa. I loved helping people's hearts stay strong and healthy. I loved listening to that happy 'thump-thump' sound that a healthy heart makes. My biggest wish was to make sure everyone's heart could keep making that sound for a long, long time.
Sometimes, a person's heart can get very sick and tired. It feels weak and cannot make its strong thump-thump sound anymore. This made me want to find a new way to help. So, I had a big, brave idea. What if a sick heart could be replaced with a healthy one? In the year 1967, my team and I tried this brave idea for the very first time. We performed the world's first heart transplant to help a man named Louis. We gave him a new, healthy heart to help him feel better.
That one brave operation showed doctors everywhere a new way to help people with very sick hearts. Because of my work, many more doctors learned how to fix hearts and help them beat strong again. It was wonderful to know that we could give people more time with their families. I lived to be 78 years old. Today, people remember me for helping give many hearts a second chance to go thump-thump.
Christiaan Barnard: The Doctor Who Mended Hearts
Hello. My name is Christiaan Barnard. I was a special kind of doctor who took care of people's hearts. A long, long time ago, in the year 1922, I was born in a sunny place called South Africa. I loved helping people's hearts stay strong and healthy. I loved listening to that happy 'thump-thump' sound that a healthy heart makes. My biggest wish was to make sure everyone's heart could keep making that sound for a long, long time.
Sometimes, a person's heart can get very sick and tired. It feels weak and cannot make its strong thump-thump sound anymore. This made me want to find a new way to help. So, I had a big, brave idea. What if a sick heart could be replaced with a healthy one? In the year 1967, my team and I tried this brave idea for the very first time. We performed the world's first heart transplant to help a man named Louis. We gave him a new, healthy heart to help him feel better.
That one brave operation showed doctors everywhere a new way to help people with very sick hearts. Because of my work, many more doctors learned how to fix hearts and help them beat strong again. It was wonderful to know that we could give people more time with their families. I lived to be 78 years old. Today, people remember me for helping give many hearts a second chance to go thump-thump.
Wow facts
About
Christiaan Barnard was a South African cardiac surgeon who performed the world's first successful human-to-human heart transplant on December 3rd, 1967.
Take a Quiz
Question 1 of 3
What was my name in the story?
Explore next
Want to do even more?
Go beyond exploring. Unlock tools that turn every story into real learning.
Storypie Plus for families
Full stories, quizzes, and printables. Nights and car rides, sorted.
- Unlimited audio stories
- Create Mode: your child stars in the story
- Offline downloads
- Printable worksheets & coloring pages
Why Storypie for Schools
Students engaged. Prep in seconds. Evenings back to you.
- Worksheets & Quizzes
- Classroom Management
- Formative Assessment
- Custom Curriculum & Lesson Plans
- 27 Languages
Why Storypie for Homeschool
Curriculum done. They'll ask for more. Hours back in your day.
- Worksheet Generator
- First-Person Audio Stories
- Built-in Comprehension Quizzes
- Custom Curriculum & Lesson Plans
- Print & Go Activities
