Chris Barnard needed the help of exceptional men and women to stay ahead of the fast-developing science of transplantation. One of these exceptional men were Winston Wicomb, the darker brother of the famous Randall.

He had to be hidden as a child to prevent the Apartheid inspectors from discovering his family’s racial identity. He had to endure the rampant racism that existed in South Africa at school and in the army… Winston, who had to fix cars in the backyard to make ends meet, had a curious encounter with Chris Barnard and got appointed in his research laboratory. Winston had to develop an apparatus with which hearts could be kept alive to enable transport.

This is the story of an unlikely hero; a man who changed transplantation forever, and a South African citizen who never got the recognition he deserved.

It’s a story of perseverance. And hope. Even... love.

Africa: a continent of mystery, magic, wonder - and stories. It is here our ancestors huddled around the glowing embers of a late-night fire for the first time, and it is here the very first stories were told. Some of these stories are true, of course, but others simply reflect the impressive creativity of the people who live here. Imagine: Africa challenges the reader to pull up a chair next to an imaginary fireside, sit down, and allow the stories to transport him or her to remote villages, strange people and weird situations. Here you'll find an elephant with a sense of humor, the reason cheetahs have tear streaks down their cheeks, and several dubious characters with an array of scores to settle. An old soldier discovers why he was wounded in the war and an investment banker with a taste for his clients' wives has to face reality. Chinese tourists find a new aphrodisiac, while a woman must decide what to do with her father's murderer. This book wants the reader to rediscover the immense power of imagination. The stories are poignant, humorous, sad, and sometimes even cruel. In every story reality takes a few twists and turns to surprise and entertain. A word of warning: While some of these stories are fictitious, some of them aren't. Next time you travel in Africa, you may well meet some of the characters on these pages. Whatever you do, don't ask them to tell you what happened after each story - it is so much more entertaining to use your own imagination.

In the dark years of apartheid, a boy grew up in a household with a terrible secret: although they were all of mixed origins, they had managed to `pass as white'. Young Winston Wicomb, however, was far too dark to fit in, and had to be hidden whenever someone knocked on their door. After struggling through school and even managing to obtain an university degree, he still remained unemployed due to his skin colour. To make ends meet, he serviced cars in their backyard, but never stopped dreaming about escaping the restraints of Apartheid. Then fate intervened. While distributing pamphlets advertising his mechanical skills, he found Professor Chris Barnard stranded next to the road. He offered to help even though he had no experience with the new Mercedes the professor drove. Barnard, surprised at the success of Winston's efforts and impulsive as ever, offered Winston a job in his research lab. It is here that Winston applied his knowledge and experience of matters mechanical to eventually produce the world's first apparatus to transport a living heart over long distances. `Vital Remains' tells to story of an unlikely hero, a huge risk, achievement ... and love.