Heart surgeon Asif Hasan was overcome with emotion at the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards as 19 of his former patients lined up to pay tribute to the man they call their 'life saver'. The modest Lifetime Achievement winner wiped tears from his eyes as he insisted he was 'just doing his job'.
His former patients gave accounts of his selfless dedication, telling of his pioneering work identifying the need for surgery in the womb and then operating on a newborn at two days old. He also sat by another child's bedside after surgery, monitoring their progress through the night.
A Career of Life-Saving Surgery
Mr Hasan has worked at the Children's Heart Unit at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne for 36 years, carrying out 400 heart transplants. He also led more than 3,000 major heart surgeries and was the second surgeon on another 1,000 procedures.
Colleagues recalled that he would avoid food and drink before operations so he would not be delayed by the need for a break, remaining on his feet sometimes for 17 hours at a time. His wife Nancy and daughter Sabeen told how he would dash off immediately upon receiving a call that a donor organ had arrived, sometimes not returning for 36 hours.
Patients Reunited on Stage
Speaking at the awards ceremony on Monday night, Mr Hasan paid tribute to 'incredible' colleagues who gave their all to the NHS, where you can 'get a toenail removed and a heart transplant free of charge'. He described it as a great institution that nurtured his skills when he came to the UK from Pakistan in 1981.
He identified Kiera Wylie's heart condition while she was still in the womb, then operated to save her life within hours of her birth. The 16-year-old joined 18 other former patients on stage, including Hope Walton, 18, Tyler Arnell, 17, and Isabelle Amos, 10, to thank their saviour. With a handkerchief in hand, Mr Hasan hugged every one of them.
Tributes from Grateful Patients
Seb Hollingsworth, 17, who needed vital heart surgery as a child, paid tribute with his parents Ivan and Nadine, from Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, who have raised more than £500,000 for the Children's Heart Unit Fund. Seb told the audience: "My parents told me how you stayed by my bedside after the operation."
Natalie Grant, who had surgery 25 years ago and now works at the Children's Heart Unit, said: "I had surgery 25 years ago. I was scared but I knew that I was in safe hands. I have two daughters now and my youngest one is the same age as I was then. I can't help thinking what that must be like as a parent. And you really did inspire me as I now work in the Children's Heart Unit. No one deserves this more than you."
A Legacy of Training Future Surgeons
Colleague Louise Kenny said: "Asif has been an integral part of training every single children's heart surgeon in the UK, and many abroad also. He has tirelessly trained us all to strive to be the best and try hard to give every child the opportunity of life and health."
Even in retirement, Mr Hasan continues to guide and support surgeons at home and abroad, including through his work with a charity in Pakistan and Nairobi. His wife Nancy said: "He does not like to make a fuss, he just wanted to quietly leave. There have been so many instances over the years where he has dropped everything to get to the hospital. This was a very, very nice gift to him at the end of his career."
