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- Cameron Underwood, of Yuba City, Calif., Was found with a disfigured face after a suicide attempt in June 2016.
- Eighteen months later, in January 2018, he was approved for a facial transplant when a donor became available.
- Underwood is now developing less than a year after the operation and has even skydived.
Eleven months after a revolutionary facial transplant, a 26-year-old Californian, who lost his face after a suicide attempt, talks about his recovery.
Cameron Underwood, of Yuba City, was severely injured in the face during a self-inflicted suicide shot in June 2016.
The gunshot wound left him deprived of most of his lower jaw, nose and all his teeth except one, according to Langone Health of New York University.
Despite several surgeries, nothing could be done to save his face and Underwood was badly disfigured.
A few months later, however, he was put in contact with Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez of Langone Health, a prominent physician in facial reconstruction procedures and enrolled on a donor list.
Underwood waited 18 months for a new face
In January 2018, a donor became available and Underwood traveled 2,800 miles to New York – further than any other patient grafted to the face before him – to undergo his revolutionary operation.
The transplant, which took place just 18 months after the injury, marked the shortest time between injury and facial transplant for a patient. His face took 25 hours to repair.
Read more: A 22-year-old woman who became the youngest person in the United States to undergo a facial transplant says she's finally feeling "new"
Only 11 months after undergoing surgery, Underwood's recovery was remarkable.
His recovery was faster than any other case, said Rodriguez, and he even skydived.
At a press conference held on Friday, Underwood told reporters that he was satisfied with the results of the transplant, according to DailyMail.com.
"Even though I am still recovering and recovering sensation and mobility, I am so happy with the result," he said. "I have a nose and a mouth again, so I'm able to smile, talk and eat solid foods, and I do not get as many looks or questions from strangers."
Rodriguez said in a press release that the short time between the injury and the surgery had helped Underwood's recovery quickly.
"Cameron has not lived with his injury for at least a decade, unlike most other facial transplants," he said. "As a result, he has not had to deal with many long-term psycho-social issues that often result in problems such as severe depression, substance abuse and other potentially dangerous behaviors."
Read more: After a hunting accident, a 65-year-old Canadian became the oldest facial graft recipient in the world.
There have been more than 40 facial transplants worldwide since the first was performed in France in 2005.
This is the third facial transplant performed under the direction of Dr. Rodriguez and the second at Langone Health.
For the first time, Rodriguez and his team used a 3D printed card of the donor's face to restore the integrity of his face.
The donor was William Fisher, a 23-year-old chess-maker and chess champion who joined the list of organ donors as a teenager.
In addition to what he gave to Underwood, he also donated his heart, kidneys, liver, eyes, and other tissues when he died suddenly.
Donor's mother attended the reinstatement of Underwood
Fisher's mother, Sally Fisher, said watching the recovery of Underwood had been a "source of strength" for her.
"I do not think I would have survived Will's death without Cameron, Cameron has all life in front of him – and I like the idea that Willie helps him to have a life." better, "she said in a statement to NYU.
Sally Fisher and Underwood met earlier this year on an episode of ABC News' "20/20" show.
"I know, you're very pretty," Fisher told Underwood from his new face. "I guess I'm a bit biased, I think you're beautiful to fall."
In the United States, most facial transplants are done with research grants primarily from the US Department of Defense, but Underwood private private insurance covered significant costs related to surgery.
Like all other transplant patients, Underwood will continue to take anti-rejection medication all his life, so his body does not reject the new tissue. Until now, his body has responded well to the transplant.
"We hope my experience inspires the other serious wounded in the face, inspired by those who preceded me," Underwood said in a press release. "The trip was not easy, but it was worth it."
Underwood spoke about his transplant less than two months after another transplant patient and suicide survivor, Katie Stubblefield, opened up on her own journey.
And in May, a 65-year-old Canadian man, Maurice Desjardins, became the oldest person to receive a facial transplant after a hunting accident damaged his face.
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, or if you have the idea of hurting yourself or committing suicide, ask for help. The National Suicide Prevention Policy (1-800-273-8255) provides free and confidential support to people in distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as well as best practices for professionals and resources for help with prevention and crisis situations.
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