U.S. Face Transplant
May 7, 2009 by Cherie
Filed under Beautiful Words
The first face transplant recipient in the United States, Connie Culp, bravely went in front of the cameras yesterday. Culp lost her nose, cheeks, and upper jaw when she was hit by a bullet in 2004. Her face contained nothing by her eyes, chin, and forehead. She was only able to breathe through a “tracheostomy — a surgical opening in her neck.”
She expressed her gratefulness as she stepped in front of the camera. “I want to focus on the donor family that allowed me to have this Christmas present.” Culp had the 22-hour surgery in December. Tissue from the donor was “shaped and fitted into position. Multiple layers of tissue, bone, muscle and blood vessels, nerve grafts and each artery and vein were connected.”
What an amazing gift that will transform this woman’s life. It reinforces what being a donor can mean to an ailing patient.
