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- Cameron Underwood of Yuba City, California was seriously injured in the face after attempting suicide in June 2016.
- Eighteen months later, in January, a donor became available and Underwood was approved for a facial transplant.
- Underwood is now thriving 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 after a self-inflicted suicide attempt 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 physician renowned in facial reconstruction procedures, and was listed on a donor list.
Underwood waited 18 months for a new face
In January, 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 his injury, marked the shortest time between the patient's injury and the transplantation of his face. The procedure took 25 hours.
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"
Barely 11 months after the 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 Thursday, Underwood told reporters that he was satisfied with the results of the transplant, according to the Daily Mail.
"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 an injury and surgery allowed Underwood to recover 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 psychosocial issues, which 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 in the world since the first performance performed in France in 2005.
This is the third facial transplant performed under the direction of Rodriguez and the second to Langone Health.
For the first time, Rodriguez and his team used a 3D printed mask of the donor's face, William Fisher, to restore his integrity before his body was returned to his family.
Fisher was a 23-year-old filmmaker and chess champion who joined the donor list while he was a teenager.
In addition to giving his face to Underwood, Fisher donated his heart, kidneys, liver, eyes and other tissues after his sudden death.
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.
"You look great," 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 of the facial transplants are done through research grants, mainly from the US Department of Defense, Underwood's third-party private insurance, which covered a significant portion of the cost of surgery.
Like all other transplant patients, Underwood will continue to take antiretrovirals all his life so that 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. National Suicide Prevention Policy Line (1-800-273-8255) provides free, confidential support to people in distress, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as well as best practices for professionals and resources to help with prevention and crisis situations.
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