22-year-old receives historic face, double hand transplant at New York hospital

Warning: This video contains sensitive images. Discretion advised.

A New Jersey man is slowly learning to use a face and hands that once belonged to another person after he became only the third person ever to receive a face and double hand transplant.

Joe DiMeo, 22, had his life upended when he was driving home from work in 2018 and wound up in a severe car crash when his vehicle struck a curb, hit a telephone pole, flipped over and burst into flames. He was pulled from the wreck, but suffered third-degree burns on 80 per cent of his body. He was put into a medically-induced coma for several months as skin grafts and 20 reconstructive surgeries were performed.

Since receiving his new face and hands in August, he's learned to feed and dress himself and is now learning to blink, smile and raise the eyebrows. He's also working on pinching, squeezing and offering a thumbs up with his new hands.

For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/7616736/first-face-hands-transplant/
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