US accident victim gets world’s first double hand and face transplant
- Joe DiMeo says he now has a ‘second chance at life’ after suffering horrific injuries when his car flipped over and exploded in 2018
- The risky 23-hour procedure involved a team of 96 health care personnel and took place after a nationwide donor search
A 22-year-old man from New Jersey who suffered horrific injuries in a car accident has become the world’s first person to undergo a successful face and double hand transplant, his medical team announced on Wednesday.
Joe DiMeo sustained third-degree burns on over 80 per cent of his body when he fell asleep while driving home from a night shift in July 2018, causing his car to flip over and then explode.
Though he was pulled to safety by a passer-by, his injuries included amputated fingertips, severe facial scarring, and the loss of his lips and eyelids – affecting his vision and ability to lead a normal, independent life.
He remained in a hospital burn unit for four months, where he received numerous grafts and life-saving blood transfusions, and was placed in a medically induced coma for nearly 2½ months.
But DiMeo said he now had a “second chance at life” and offered a message of hope.