Memoir of a Fractured Heart is a poignant, endearing story of one man’s journey through heart failure, mortality, the intricacies of transplant procedures and second chances.
In his debut memoir, Ray Hartle traces the underlying causes of his heart failure, from genetics to viral infections and a cavalier lifestyle, and explores the acute medical conditions that brought him to the brink. Blending the philosophical and practical, he tries to make sense of the illness’s disruption of his life and the rapid, inexorable decline in his body.
Using his unique brand of wit and refreshing candor, the award-winning journalist turned staunch transplant advocate delves into the issue of medical access, lifelong illness and the complexities that come with hoping for a transplant.
Hartle explains the moral turmoil occasioned by being told that he has a chance to live – if someone else dies.
Ten years after his heart transplant Hartle details experiences which made his heart pound and those that eased its rhythm. He acknowledges the medical significance of Barnard’s trailblazing surgery in 1967 alongside a necessary critique of the ethics and protocols involved and the failure of the South African government to build on Barnard’s legacy.