Renowned heart surgeon Marius Barnard dies

Marius Barnard has died at his Cape Town home following a long battle with prostate cancer.

He helped his brother, Christiaan Barnard perform the world's first heart transplant, cementing his place in medical history.

Barnard was also an anti-Apartheid campaigner according to The Star.

“He fulfilled his dying wish of helping the common man. He kept himself alive far longer than he should have… The little bugger didn’t want to die,” said his son, Adam. Barnard passed away on Friday.

Barnard kicked his career as a general physician in Zimbabwe. In 1966, he joined the department of cardio thoracic surgery in Cape Town, where he went on to become a member of the first heart transplant team. He received a litany of awards for his contributions to medicine around the world.

Barnard is survived by his wife and and two daughters and son.