Former Wales prop Thomas held his own heart in his hands after life-saving surgery

Key developments are coming in from the field. Rugby star held his own heart in his hands after life-saving surgery1 hour ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleEleri GriffithsBBC Wales Rugby star held his own heart in his hands after life-saving surgeryThis story contains an image some people might find distressingA former Wales rugby international described the "crazy" and "very special" moment he held his own heart after a life-saving transplant. Rhys Thomas, 43, had suffered heart problems since experiencing a minor heart attack after playing for Dragons RFC in 2006. A second, more serious attack in 2012 led to him receiving a battery-powered left ventricular assist device (LVAD).

After spending almost a decade on the UK transplant list as his health worsened, Thomas moved back to his hometown of Cape Town, South Africa, in 2024, saying the system "wasn't working" for him. Just 18 months later, he was offered three donor hearts in a single day in April, with doctors revealing after the surgery that without it, he might only have had two weeks left to live. "It was quite a process in the last months, actually, for me to make peace with death because the call wasn't coming and my health was deteriorating," Thomas said.

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"I was filled, at moments, with fear - fear of dying, what I was leaving behind, my children, my partner, my friends and family. "So it's just an absolute blessing, to be honest, that I'm still here - I feel very, very blessed. "I can't really explain how it feels to have a transplant, to be walking around without my machine and to be alive...

"Rhys ThomasThe former Wales rugby international held his own heart following the surgeryThomas said the major heart attack he had while playing for Scarlets in 2012 "changed everything". It led to his retirement and an emergency quadruple bypass surgery, which he said he was "very lucky to survive". "My health was really poor," the seven-time capped prop said.

"I couldn't even walk 40 metres without stopping four or five times. So it was a lot to take. "'I made peace with dying'By 2014, he had been fitted with an LVAD, a mechanical device that pumps blood around the body when the heart is too weak to do so.

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The system includes a cable exiting through the abdomen that connects an internal pump to an external controller and batteries, which must be worn outside the body, with the exit site kept clean and dry to reduce infection risk. "In that time, through those 12 years, I went through a huge process of transformation, through a tremendous amount of suffering, mentally, emotionally, physically," he said. "It was really challenging.

I was also navigating the transition from rugby, so a lot of questions around my identity, my purpose.

Clubs and federations are monitoring the development, which could have lasting consequences.