Inspiring teen tennis player wins gold after life-saving heart transplant

Young tennis player Pedro Basson has shown remarkable tenacity after competing in the 2023 World Transplant Games in Perth, just a year after a life-saving heart transplant. 

He won gold in the men's singles 18 to 30-year-old division and silver in the men's doubles.  

How Pedro fell ill

Paul Basson, Pedro’s dad, says Pedro is a healthy, intelligent and active young man. "He plays tennis, table tennis, swims, cycles, surfs and hikes, and he's academically strong." 

"It all started with a tennis tour, where he picked up the flu in October 2021. Then, there was a school tour where the children physically exerted themselves and Pedro got food and water poisoning. He came home spent and slept for 12 hours. When he woke up, his heart was racing, he was sweating and hot. The GP sent us straight to Netcare Linksfield Hospital."

Pedro had heart failure, tested positive for Covid-19, the coxsackievirus and a staphylococcus bacterial infection. The doctors did an echocardiogram, which showed myocarditis and cardiomyopathy (both conditions that affect the heart muscle and how it pumps blood). “I was in disbelief! We don't know what caused the condition," says Paul.

After 10 days, Pedro was transferred to a critical care unit at Netcare Milpark Hospital.

Pedro's fight for health

The bacterial infection responded well to intravenous medicine and doctors were hopeful that Pedro's heart would repair itself with support from various medicines. After more than three weeks in hospital, he was discharged, just in time for Christmas.

"When Pedro was first admitted to hospital, his heart was functioning at 15%. When he was discharged, it was at 30%. We were running an ICU from home, measuring his pulse, blood pressure, oxygen level, temperature, weight and liquid intake regularly. I was compiling the stats into charts to send to his doctors, but unfortunately the oral medicine didn't work very well."

Pedro started to experience fluid build-up and less than a month after being discharged, he was admitted to hospital again. 

Pedro's need for a heart transplant

"We were told the only thing that could save him was a transplant," says Pedro’s mom René.

Getting approved for the transplant list is an intensive process. "Pedro, Paul and I had to undergo several assessments to determine if Pedro was a suitable candidate. We also had to speak to psychologists and fill in questionnaires. They explained that a transplant isn't a silver bullet - you're signing up for lifelong medicine and a changed lifestyle. You can't go wherever you want, whenever you want, without first considering the medical implications if something goes wrong." 

"Pedro had a 5% chance of surviving the week and doctors were again discussing the possibility of putting him on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine to keep him alive while waiting for a donor heart. He was in ICU and looked like a stick figure. He weighed about 50kg," says Paul. 

"Then, we got the call. A donor heart had come up for Pedro sooner than expected."

A new heart and new lease on life

In the beginning of 2022, soon after his 17th birthday, Pedro had his heart transplant and a pacer placed. The pacemaker was removed within the first week and all the drainage pipes were removed as his body healed itself. He was discharged less than two weeks after the operation.

He had to see a biokineticist regularly and a psychiatrist. He also received spiritual counselling from pastors from the family's church. The biokineticist motivated him to make the 2023 World Transplant Games a goal.

In April 2022, about three months after the transplant, doctors gave Pedro the green light to spend a week on holiday with his family at the coast. By May, Pedro was back in school and was also allowed to play tennis again.

Click here to watch the moving conversation, recorded in 2022, between Discovery Health CEO Ryan Noach, Paul and Pedro. 

Pedro plays brilliant tennis at World Transplant Games

In September 2022, he started training in earnest for the games and Noach wished him luck. 

Pedro, the youngest competitor at the event, faced strong competition in the quarter, semi-final and final matches. “It was brilliant tennis to watch,” says Paul.

“In the finals, Pedro fell and hurt his knee, he was in a lot of pain. But he didn’t want to withdraw. He just fought through."  The final match was so tough that it ended in a tiebreaker. 

“My opponent and I had the same level of fitness. So, it was a mental game based on errors we made and how we overcame those," says Pedro. 

He says he enjoyed interacting with other people who, like him, had similar life-saving organ transplants and require lifelong immune-suppressing medicine. 

Back in SA with a gold and silver medal in hand, Pedro received widespread congratulations. Noach also congratulated Pedro on this achievement. His medical team celebrated with an event at Netcare Milpark Hospital. The young tennis player gifted his gold medal to his cardiologist Dr Graham Cassel. 

“Dr Cassel took such good care of me. I hope he keeps the medal in his office as encouragement to his other patients.” 

Pedro’s future looks bright. He also wants to compete at future World Transplant Games. “This experience inspired me to compete in more events next time. I’d like to do swimming or cycling. I’m excited to push myself further.”

There's no price to being given another chance in life

"Pedro's illness, extended hospitalisation and heart transplant operation were very expensive. We are grateful to Discovery Health Medical Scheme for all they've done. Without their support, it would've all been unthinkable," says Paul.

"We'd also like to extend our most sincere thanks to Pedro's team of healthcare providers, including Dr Cassel, Dr Lorenzo Rampini, Dr Evan Shoul and biokineticist Byron Williams. Also, thank you to Pedro's aunt, Dr Elizna Basson for her support, and to everyone who kept Pedro in their prayers."

The family urges people to sign up as organ donors, to make it easier for critically ill patients, such as Pedro, to have another chance at life. "The statistics are difficult to comprehend. Every year, up to 50,000 people across the globe need heart transplants. But the reality is that only 5,000 heart transplants get done each year. There is a desperate need for organ donors," says Paul.

Would you like to become an organ donor?

• One organ donor can save seven other people's lives and one tissue donor can help up to 50 people.
• Up to 2,000 South African adults and children are waiting for a lifesaving solid organ (including heart, lung, liver, pancreas, kidney) or corneal transplant.
• To become an organ donor, simply register with the Organ Donor Foundation or call 080-022-6611 toll-free during office hours.

This article was sponsored by Discovery Health. 

^{Discovery Health Medical Scheme, registration number 1125, administered by Discovery Health (Pty) Ltd, registration number 1997/013480/07, is an authorised financial services provider and administrator of medical schemes.}