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The man, who received the world’s first face transplant, admitted that he found love five years after a terrible accident. 80% of his body was covered in third-degree burns.
Joe DiMeo, 24, from New Jersey, crashed his Dodge Challenger in July 2018.
In the following months, Joe underwent 20 reconstructive plastic surgeries and skin grafts. Then in August 2020, he spent 23 hours on the operating table. Doctors used innovative methods of transplantation. Joe’s face was transplanted from a donor, a stroke victim who died at the age of 48.
Romantic relationship
After reading about his extensive surgeries, Jessica Kobey, 32, was inspired by Joe’s positive outlook on life and sent him a message on Instagram. The couple bonded over a shared love of Boston Terriers and have been slowly getting to know each other for the past two years.
“At first we had a long distance relationship, and then I moved from California to be closer to him. And it’s been great ever since,” said Jessica, who works as a nurse.
On the subject: A teenager died due to riding on the roof of a subway car: this is the second such death in a week
“He’s a pretty quiet guy, so at first when you first get to know him, he keeps to himself and just observes his surroundings. He is very well educated, and with anyone he talks to, he can keep up the conversation,” she said. – I really like that about him, because I think that someone who is educated and speaks well is very attractive. I like that he is gentle, kind and so courageous. Despite everything he’s been through, he remains so positive and so bright.”
“I love Joe – his inner world and appearance, because he is a funny guy, he knows what he wants from life, and he is very mature for his age,” she added.
Big progress
Through extensive therapy, Joe gradually began to gain independence and now even drives again.
He explained: “When I got burned, I wasn’t looking for love, but I was always sure that it would happen in the end, because I am the same inside as I was before the accident. Nothing has changed except my skin. Now it’s really just amazing to be independent again.”
“After the operation, I was at 0% – I really couldn’t do anything. Now I feel at 50%. I can cook, clean, do laundry, and I’m better with my phone. I can drive again. I just drive my girlfriend’s Subaru Crosstrek. I don’t have my car yet,” Joe said. “I really didn’t think I could motivate people until someone texted me. It said: “You saved me from suicide.”
“I never thought I could do this with my story and it pushed me to share it more and more. I have had several people with burns who asked me how they could deal with it. I’m just telling them to keep acting the way you’ve always behaved,” he said.
terrible accident
In 2018, Joe fell asleep at the wheel of his car after working the night shift. The car crashed – it crashed into a curb, then exploded. Joe only survived because people pulled him out of the fire.
“I burned out 80%. I had to amputate my fingertips down to the second joint and then stitch up my eyelids because they were burned. I was ready for the transplant when it was offered to me. I didn’t want to live the way I lived,” Joe said.
For the first time since the transplant, Joe talked about his donor.
“It wasn’t weird to have the face of someone almost twice my age because I was completely ready to start my life over. I am who I am now, and I really came to terms with that pretty quickly. My donor was a 48-year-old stroke victim from Delaware who died two days before my surgery,” Joe said. – That’s literally all I know, because the doctors flatly refused to tell me anything. I never had any contact with his family or friends or anyone who knew him.”
“I even wanted the girl’s face if that would speed up the process. I told my doctor that I would prefer a woman’s face so I don’t have to shave all the time! They took the skin, and then the muscles, tendons, nerves, and all the little veins that are attached to it to make blood flow to the skin,” Joe recalls. “It was really hard when I came to my senses. As soon as I woke up, nurses and occupational therapists immediately piled on me. It was very difficult.”
“For the first couple of weeks, I physically couldn’t even move my fingers. I tried to develop muscle memory by pinching each finger, trying to grab a water bottle. When the family saw me for the first time, my parents were happy and everyone was happy for me,” Joe said.
The reaction of society and plans for life
After that accident that changed his life, Joe says he learned the hard way who his real friends are.
He explained, “When I had an accident, I lost a lot of fake friends. It was sad to see all my fake friends gone, but then you realize who your real friends are and appreciate them more.”
“So all I have left are my real friends, and they have always supported me in everything. I wear short sleeves most of the time so you can see my burned hands. I don’t mind people staring because I would stare too. I could throw a pity party, but that’s not for me,” Joe said.
“I am writing a book, I want to tell my story. Our apartment is now too small for us, and I would like to have my own house and car,” says Joe about his plans.
“I will take medication for the rest of my life. I take 15 tablets a day. The main three simply prevent rejection of my transplants, and the rest are electrolytes that take away all the drugs for transplantation, ”he said.
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A man from New Jersey became the first patient in the world to survive a face transplant: how is his rehabilitation going
The man, who received the world’s first face transplant, admitted that he found love five years after a terrible accident. 80% of his body was covered in third-degree burns.
Joe DiMeo, 24, from New Jersey, crashed his Dodge Challenger in July 2018.
In the following months, Joe underwent 20 reconstructive plastic surgeries and skin grafts. Then in August 2020, he spent 23 hours on the operating table. Doctors used innovative methods of transplantation. Joe’s face was transplanted from a donor, a stroke victim who died at the age of 48.
Romantic relationship
After reading about his extensive surgeries, Jessica Kobey, 32, was inspired by Joe’s positive outlook on life and sent him a message on Instagram. The couple bonded over a shared love of Boston Terriers and have been slowly getting to know each other for the past two years.
“At first we had a long distance relationship, and then I moved from California to be closer to him. And it’s been great ever since,” said Jessica, who works as a nurse.
On the subject: A teenager died due to riding on the roof of a subway car: this is the second such death in a week
“He’s a pretty quiet guy, so at first when you first get to know him, he keeps to himself and just observes his surroundings. He is very well educated, and with anyone he talks to, he can keep up the conversation,” she said. – I really like that about him, because I think that someone who is educated and speaks well is very attractive. I like that he is gentle, kind and so courageous. Despite everything he’s been through, he remains so positive and so bright.”
“I love Joe – his inner world and appearance, because he is a funny guy, he knows what he wants from life, and he is very mature for his age,” she added.
Big progress
Through extensive therapy, Joe gradually began to gain independence and now even drives again.
He explained: “When I got burned, I wasn’t looking for love, but I was always sure that it would happen in the end, because I am the same inside as I was before the accident. Nothing has changed except my skin. Now it’s really just amazing to be independent again.”
“After the operation, I was at 0% – I really couldn’t do anything. Now I feel at 50%. I can cook, clean, do laundry, and I’m better with my phone. I can drive again. I just drive my girlfriend’s Subaru Crosstrek. I don’t have my car yet,” Joe said. “I really didn’t think I could motivate people until someone texted me. It said: “You saved me from suicide.”
“I never thought I could do this with my story and it pushed me to share it more and more. I have had several people with burns who asked me how they could deal with it. I’m just telling them to keep acting the way you’ve always behaved,” he said.
terrible accident
In 2018, Joe fell asleep at the wheel of his car after working the night shift. The car crashed – it crashed into a curb, then exploded. Joe only survived because people pulled him out of the fire.
“I burned out 80%. I had to amputate my fingertips down to the second joint and then stitch up my eyelids because they were burned. I was ready for the transplant when it was offered to me. I didn’t want to live the way I lived,” Joe said.
For the first time since the transplant, Joe talked about his donor.
“It wasn’t weird to have the face of someone almost twice my age because I was completely ready to start my life over. I am who I am now, and I really came to terms with that pretty quickly. My donor was a 48-year-old stroke victim from Delaware who died two days before my surgery,” Joe said. – That’s literally all I know, because the doctors flatly refused to tell me anything. I never had any contact with his family or friends or anyone who knew him.”
“I even wanted the girl’s face if that would speed up the process. I told my doctor that I would prefer a woman’s face so I don’t have to shave all the time! They took the skin, and then the muscles, tendons, nerves, and all the little veins that are attached to it to make blood flow to the skin,” Joe recalls. “It was really hard when I came to my senses. As soon as I woke up, nurses and occupational therapists immediately piled on me. It was very difficult.”
“For the first couple of weeks, I physically couldn’t even move my fingers. I tried to develop muscle memory by pinching each finger, trying to grab a water bottle. When the family saw me for the first time, my parents were happy and everyone was happy for me,” Joe said.
The reaction of society and plans for life
After that accident that changed his life, Joe says he learned the hard way who his real friends are.
He explained, “When I had an accident, I lost a lot of fake friends. It was sad to see all my fake friends gone, but then you realize who your real friends are and appreciate them more.”
“So all I have left are my real friends, and they have always supported me in everything. I wear short sleeves most of the time so you can see my burned hands. I don’t mind people staring because I would stare too. I could throw a pity party, but that’s not for me,” Joe said.
“I am writing a book, I want to tell my story. Our apartment is now too small for us, and I would like to have my own house and car,” says Joe about his plans.
“I will take medication for the rest of my life. I take 15 tablets a day. The main three simply prevent rejection of my transplants, and the rest are electrolytes that take away all the drugs for transplantation, ”he said.
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