Woman stopped at airport security on way to Australia over item in her luggage
A woman on her way to Australia from New Zealand was stopped by security staff over an item in her carry-on baggage. WARNING: Graphic
WARNING: Graphic
A woman passing through airport security on her way to Australia was stopped by border control because of a single item she tried to get through customs.
Jessica Manning, 30, a heart and liver transplant patient, was moving from New Zealand to Australia when she was stopped by officials — all because she had her old heart in her carry-on baggage.
Ms Manning said the border security team wanted to rule out any cross-contamination threats or health hazards the old heart might pose, but after she explained her situation and history, the officials let her through.
“He didn’t quite know what to do with it so he went to go talk to his boss, and this is when my tears started, because the guy was as nice as he could be and I understand he was just being very cautious,” she explained, as reported by the New Zealand Herald.
“His main issue was that I was [potentially] bringing in a new disease to the country and he didn’t want me to bring in something that was a hazard to Australia.
“I was there for about an hour trying to get this dang heart through to Australia. I have it now though and it’s safe in my wardrobe.”
Ms Manning had a heart and liver transplant six years ago, after being born with numerous heart defects. As a result, she had to endure multiple open-heart surgeries growing up.
By her third birthday, she had already had two open-heart surgeries, and went under the knife again for a small-hole closure before turning six.
At 25, Ms Manning had both a heart and liver transplant, following pacemaker surgery and emergency lung surgery a few years earlier.
While she has not suffered any complications since receiving her transplants, she still will have to take medication for the rest of her life as a preventive measure.
Speaking to the New Zealand Herald, Ms Manning said since having the transplant she now knows what “normal” feels like.
“I feel amazing. I can’t even remember what normal feels like because I’ve never been normal,” the now 30-year-old said in 2019.
“I’ve always had the struggles of breathing and not doing [certain actions] because I can’t breathe, and now I can actually breathe.
“Everyone asks me, ‘What’s the best part about having the transplant?’, and I just say, ‘I can breathe’.”
Now working as a teacher, Ms Manning made the decision to donate both her liver and heart for research — but 10 months ago, she received a call that meant she would get her old heart back.
“In New Zealand, due to the Māori culture, they firmly believe that you should be returned to the body the way God created you, so we do get the option of keeping our organs,” she said.
“I’m not Māori, but I still think that the belief is really cool, but I actually donated both my organs to medical research and science, so that is why I don’t have my liver – because it went to a university for studies about liver cirrhosis.
“About 10 months later, I received a call stating they no longer needed my heart and asking if I wanted it back.
“I said yes because I wanted to bury it on a property that meant something to me, so maybe the first house I buy, and then I wanted to plant a tree on top.”
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