Mississippi Firefighter Feels Normal Again After Historic Face Transplant
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A Mississippi firefighter who received the world's most extensive face transplant after a burning building collapsed on him said Wednesday that he feels like "a normal guy'' for the first time in 15 years.
Patrick Hardison, 42, said he can now eat, see, hear and breathe normally, thanks to last year's 26-hour marathon operation. He even has a full head of hair and hits the gym twice a week.
PHOTOS: Face Transplant Patient Discusses Recovery
"Before the transplant, every day I had to wake up and get myself motivated to face the world,'' Hardison told reporters at NYU Langone Medical Center. "Now I don't worry about people pointing and staring or kids running away crying. I'm happy.''
Hardison was a volunteer firefighter in Senatobia, Mississippi, when a building collapsed on him in 2001. He had 71 reconstructive surgeries before the transplant.
As CBS2's Dr. Max Gomez explained, remarkable doesn't begin to describe the change in Hardison's appearance over the last year.
While there have been nearly 40 face transplant surgeries since 2005, Hardison's was the first to include a scalp and functioning eyelids. Doctors have since fixed up some features and removed his breathing and feeding tubes.
Hardison has no scars on his face, and although he resembles his old self, some of his features are different. His eyes are smaller and his face is rounder, but he still has sandy brown hair.
The massive team effort to get Hardison there started with the right patient.
"It was an exhaustive, year long vetting process before doctors at NYU-Langone accepted him into the program led by Cuban born reconstructive surgeon Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez.
"What's most important is the person themselves. He has to be committed, compliant, psychologically stable. It's a lifelong process," he said.
The 26 hour operation took the entire face and scalp of the donor -- 26-year-old bike accident victim David Rodebaugh.
After stabilizing the facial bones and connecting the blood vessels, the key was connecting nerves that have allowed Patrick to blink again, which restored his vision to 20/30. It's also slowing giving him facial expression.
He's had his trache and feeding tube removed as well, and can eat food.
"I gained about 30 lbs," he said.
Patrick hasn't had any rejection episodes, which long term depend partly on his very close donor match, and the standard anti-rejection drugs.
The divorced father of five said one of the best moments of his life was seeing his children for the first time after the August 2015 surgery. Four of his children attended the news conference.
His 21-year-old daughter, Alison, said she cried after seeing him because she was so relieved.
"I walked into the room and I was just speechless,'' she said. "He gave me a hug and our cheeks touched, and his cheeks were kind of warm, and that was something I hadn't felt in 14 years.''
She said her father "wasn't normal on the inside'' before the surgery.
"He was very unhappy,'' Alison Hardison said. "Now he's happy with himself and happy with life.''
Hardison said he wants his children "to know that throughout life, no matter what happens, you can overcome anything."
Hardison can finally drive and live independently thanks to his new field of vision. Previously, Hardison could see only through "pinholes'' because doctors had sewed his eyelids partially shut to protect his eyes, he said.
"I'd like to say that I'm the same old Pat, but that would not give enough credit to the amazing journey I have gone through this past year,'' Hardison said. "The road to recovery has been long and hard, but if I had to do it again, I'd do it in a heartbeat.''
Eduardo Rodriguez, chairman of Langone's plastic surgery department, said Hardison has not had any issues with transplant rejection, which is due to his medications, his children and his strength.
"He's a remarkable individual,'' Rodriguez said, but cautioned that Haridson must be careful because sun exposure or sun burn could incite an acute rejection episode.
Hardison said he hopes to meet this fall with the family of his donor, David P. Rodebaugh, a 26-year-old artist who died in a bike accident in Brooklyn.
"She gave me a gift that I'm forever grateful for," Hardison said. "There's no way I can ever thank her enough."
Rodebaugh's mother said her son wanted to be a firefighter.
The surgery is estimated to cost about $1 million, according to NYU, but the hospital covered the cost. Rodriguez was recently awarded $2.5 million from the Defense Department to continue face transplant research.
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