With my collection I would like to draw attention to the organ „heart“ which is the engine of life and which we have to take care of every day!
The world’s leading cause of death is cardiovascular disease. Everyone should be aware of this fact! The heart is one of our most precious organs, the „engine of life“ which will get diseased easily if one does not take care of it. This is the reason why I got a cardiac surgeon: to „repair“ diseased hearts as soon as prevention, conservative or interventional therapy has been exhausted.
In 2006, two years after graduating from Medical School, I started my cardiac surgery residency at a renowned University Hospital. From that year on my dream became true: I was granted the rare chance to become a cardiac surgeon.
Since then, I collect everything commercially available with heart shape or heart motifs on it because:
1. I love my job
2. The heart is a beautiful and perfectly formed object: it is round and curved all over without any lines or angles
3. The heart represents the engine of life. No creature can live without it. Therefor it is very important to repair it once it is diseased. It reminds me that everything is perishable and that everyone should respect life no matter what form, colour, gender or religion it is part of.
Within 3 years, by September 2009 I have collected a total of 775 different individual items.
In January 2010 the „Guinness Book of Records“ has recognized my collection as the world’s largest collection of hearts. The record is found in the 2011 issue on page 138 (german edition).
I have no favourite item, I love all of my hearts. Most of them are presents and are therefore connected to nice memories and people.
It is not difficult to buy a present for me at all and my family, friends and collegues are very thankful for that. They help me to increase my collection all the time. I have infected them with my obsession and they always tell me about different heart-items they have seen lately and I do not have in my collection yet. Indeed, one would never believe what one can find with hearts on it unless one is really looking for it….