Jonathan Nicholls and Keegan Manwaring are pictured with well known Australian actor Fiona Coote.

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute  will be the beneficiary of $22,000 after this year’s steer was won at auction by  Paul Ferry,  ‘Abingdon Station’ Gundagai.

Johnathan Nicholls underwent Open Heart Surgery at Westmead Private Hospital in 2015. The four hour procedure included an Atrial Defect Repair, to patch up several holes that have been present in his heart since birth, and the replacement of a Pulmonary Valve. The latter involved the deflation of one of Johnathan’s lungs, with the installed valve needing to have its internal components replaced every 10-15 years. “It’s like changing an oil filter in a car,” said his mother, Karen Nicholls.

The immediate recovery period consisted of three days in an Intensive Care Unit, followed by four days in a Cardiology Ward, where Johnathon was one of the few teenagers. Most of the patients were in their 70s and 80s.

Johnathon has been undertaking a steady process to recovery, with short walks to begin with to build up stamina. He has capped off a very difficult 12 months by leading the prized steer around the parade ring, and it is poignant that at such a young age his health issues are so directly related to the purpose of the auction.

Murrumburrah High School Agricultural teacher Jan Young said “Paul has purchased the steer every year since 2009, and we sincerely thank him for his generosity.”

Fiona Coote became the youngest heart transplant recipient at 14 years of age after she was struck down with illness. She is now 44 and is the longest surviving heart transplant recipient in the southern hemisphere. Dr Chang operated on Fiona in 1984 and was at the forefront of the new technology in Australia.

He was tragically  murdered in 1991 in a failed extortion attempt and was found dead next to his car.

In 1994, the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, was established  to focus on researching “the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart muscle diseases”, and launched by Prime Minister Paul Keating. The “Dr Victor Chang Science Labs” in Christian Brother’s High School are named after him.  In 1999, Prime Minister John Howard announced Dr Chang as Australian of the Century at the People’s Choice Awards Congratulations Johno and the Murrumburrah High School team.