Mr Morris said he was first told to live his life 'six months at a time'

Derrick Morris, from Swansea, was given just a 15% chance of survival when he had his operation in February 1980.

Since then Mr Morris, 74, has travelled the world and lived to share his experience with three grandchildren.

The man who performed the pioneering surgery, Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, said Mr Morris' example had made him an "inspiration" for transplant medicine.

The former Swansea Docks worker was one of the first in Britain to undergo the surgery at Harefield Hospital in Middlesex, when a heart transplant was a rare and pioneering operation.

It was an anniversary I thought I would never get to Derrick Morris

He had suffered his first heart attack in 1975 and within four years was constantly collapsing and had to give up work.

In 1980 he had become so ill with heart disease that he opted for a transplant, even though the surgery was in its infancy and he knew he might not survive.

He said his operation a quarter of a century ago saved and transformed his life.

"It was an anniversary I thought I would never get to," he said.

"In the early days they were saying, look for six months, 12 months, and then five years and the sky's the limit after that.

"So here I am, still here, 25 years on.

Sir Magdi said Mr Morris has shown tranplantation was worthwhile

"Since then I have travelled the world, America and the Far East, Europe, which I never did before and it's great to be able to do those things."

The operation changed his life philosophy, he said.

"When I was working, I was a worrier, I used to bring my work home with me.

"But after the operation, I said I was not going to worry any more, and I just let everything go over my head, I don't worry at all.

Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub was the leading light behind Britain's pioneering heart transplant programme 25 years ago.

He remembers that at the time he treated Derrick Morris, the procedure was very controversial.

'Success story'

He said: "The government did not agree to fund the programme. It was up to the public and the group here at Harefield and other places to support the programme.

"So there was a fair amount of opposition."

Professor Yacoub has since retired from NHS surgery, but remains in charge of the heart research programme at Harefield Hospital.

Now, more than 2,800 operations later, he is still looking for new ways to tackle heart disease.

He said: "There has been dramatic change, from something that was looked at in some ways as experimental and sometimes unethical - that word was used - to people talking about it as a success story of the 20th Century.

"Most importantly, Derrick went on to show that transplantation was a good thing.

"He went back and did precisely what he wanted to do, pursued his own life. So he has been a source of inspiration for all of us."