Joe DiMeo-World’s First Successful Face and Double Hand Transplant

What does it take to rebuild your life when 80% of your body is gone?
In this deeply moving episode of Conversations That Make a Difference, Teresa Velardi sits down with Joe DiMeo, the world’s first successful face-and-double-hand transplant recipient. 

In July 2018, Joe was just 20 years old when a devastating car accident left him with third-degree burns over most of his body. After months in a coma and years of recovery, Joe underwent a groundbreaking 24-hour transplant surgery in 2021, changing medical history and his life forever.

But this conversation goes far beyond the surgery. It’s about:

• Resilience in the face of unimaginable loss
• Rebuilding identity, confidence, and purpose
• The mindset that carried him through the darkest moments
• What it really means to get a second chance at life

This is not just a story of survival; it’s a masterclass in mental strength, courage, and choosing life, no matter what.

Learn more about Joe:https://www.80percentgone.com/
More about the historic surgery: https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/22/health...

Stay in Touch with Teresa Velardi:
SUBSCRIBE to this channel for more inspiring conversations, author spotlights, and heart-centered teachings. Tap SUBSCRIBE and turn your notifications ON
www.conversationsthatmakeadifference.com
New episodes every Tuesday

AEP = Authentic Endeavors Publishing
www.authenticendeavorspublishing.com
Our mission is to communicate with purpose, create with authenticity, and gather a global community rooted in gratitude. We strive to inspire leadership and offer heartfelt encouragement through meaningful writing, empowering every voice to shine and every story to make a lasting impact.

The Daily Gift Book Series - Each book is a compilation of real stories from real people, designed to uplift, encourage, and remind you that you’re never alone on the journey.
Visit: www.dailygiftbookseries.com or look up Teresa Velardi on Amazon

Join the Grateful Hearts Community
If you’d like to grow a life rooted in gratitude, hope, kindness, peace, and authentic friendship, join us in the Grateful Hearts Community on Facebook.
Access The Grateful Hearts Community on Facebook and request to join:   / thegratefulheartscommunitygroup  

Transcript

Conversations That Make A Difference with Teresa Velardi

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome to Conversations That Make a Difference. With your host, Teresa Vellante. We believe that authentic, meaningful, and diverse conversations together. Join us for conversations filled with credit, valued, abundance, authenticity, and fake. You're the host of our show, Teresa.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

We are here for an incredible conversation with Joe DeMeo, who is the very first person to undergo a successful face and double hand transplant. And as most of you know, if you've been listening to me for a while, I usually start our time together with a prayer. So let's do that now. We'll say the serenity prayer. God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. And it is by God's grace that we are indeed fabulous, blessed, highly favored, living in our greatness, using our gifts and talents, making a difference in the lives of others with passion and purpose, and all of God's great universe is conspiring in our favor. And so we gratefully say amen.

Meet Joe DiMeo: World’s First Successful Face & Double Hand Transplant

SPEAKER_01 1:48

All right. In July of 2018, Joe DeMeo was 20 years old and planning his future. One fateful morning after working an extra late night shift, Joe fell asleep at the wheel of his car on his way home and he lost control, rolled several times before the car burst into flames. He suffered third-degree burns over 80% of his body. And Joe, after undergoing a nearly 24-hour surgery in 2021, is indeed the world's first successful face and double hand transplant. Joe, welcome to Conversations That Make a Difference. I'm delighted to have you here. How are you? I'm glad that you're with us. So, Joe, your story is one that's not new to conversations that make a difference. You've been interviewed by many, many people on many talk shows and uh radio networks and podcasts. Um, you are indeed someone who has taken uh lemons and made them into lemonade, if you will. I know that you are living your best life possible uh today. Can you tell us a little bit about um your experience as you went through this incredible transformation? So talk a little bit about the day, um, what was in between, and maybe give us a hint as to what your life is now. And you can take your time and go as you wish.

From Ordinary Life to Unthinkable Tragedy: The Night That Changed Everything

SPEAKER_05 3:28

Yeah, so like uh that day, like the the day of, I was golfing with my dad. And only I know that because of my I got my phone back, uh, I went through my Snapchat, and the last picture I took was like the day of of me taking a picture of the golf ball of the heel. So that's the only thing I remember of the day. Because I don't remember like clocking in, uh my parents say we went to we went to dinner too, and then I went to bed after that. And uh I remember eating dinner, that's that's how far back my memory doesn't go, I'm gonna say. And then because my mom has pictures of me at the dinner, which I don't know if she has anymore, but I saw them, I was like, that's interesting. And then so like I was doing usual shit that clocked in, and it was overtime shit, so they it wasn't my normal shit, it was a weekend, so it's like a Saturday going into a Sunday, and uh so I just doing normal shit, nothing like I felt nothing wrong with doing the shift, I guess. And I was just driving home, and I guess my body just couldn't take it no more, and I was just conked out. Yeah, I just I overworked myself because you know I was I was a young 19-year-old, just turned 20 at that time, and since I was 18, I was constantly working at that job and uh always doing night shifts, uh Monday to Sunday, always overtime because Saturday and Sundays are overtime, and so I was just constantly doing overtime, always doing double shifts in the acidity. Never said no because just you know I just want the money and uh I wasn't struggling nothing, I just wanted the extra like mess around money. Always nice to have like money to spend and money on hand just in case something bad happens. And I'm also a car guy, so it's nice to have money for car parts, especially when something breaks, you have to fix it right away. And yeah, uh, I like to work my own car at that time. I can't do it no more. But what kind of car were you in?

SPEAKER_01 5:31

What kind of car were you driving at that time?

SPEAKER_05 5:33

At the time I was trying a Dodge Challenger RT, uh all blacked out, and uh had to only exhaust modifications. I didn't want to do nothing to the engine because uh I thought that was a waste of money on an RT because I I could just save up and get a better car. So I wanted to work on the engine, and I I wasn't my permanent car either. I wanted another car after that. Lost thing on my permanent car, I would do engine modifications, but that's a whole nother story. But you know, if I just comped out on that night and uh that morning, early morning, uh about like seven o'clock in the morning, uh that's 6 30, I think. Because uh on overtime shifts, they take out the uh the lunch break. So you don't have the hour break, you just work through it, which I don't mind. I think I like that better than uh the lunch break, honestly. Like I wish they did that during the week to my regular schedule. So at least I get to go home an hour early and eat what I want. I'm not gonna rush to eat. And uh, you know, I got a car flipped a couple times and caught on fire. I was halfway off the car and a Samaritan, a good Samaritan, like pulled me out the rest of the way. Took a bit the ambulance about like like three minutes to get there, which is pretty impressive. I saw the police report later on. Pretty impressive. Uh the police do have a video of the crash, which I would like to see, but they they say no. I think I guess penalty I can handle it, but I just want to see my car flipped. Uh very curious. I'm not a I'm pretty okay with this. I'm okay with the situation. So I'm I'm ready to see it. I was always ready to see it. Yeah, I woke up from the coma about three and a half months later.

SPEAKER_01 7:22

So let me ask a question. So, do you have memory of that Good Samaritan pulling you out of the car, or is all that blank? And the next thing you remember besides getting into your car to go home is when you woke up three and a half months later from the medically induced coma?

SPEAKER_05 7:41

Yeah, I just I just remember waking up from a coma

Falling Asleep at the Wheel: The Crash That Led to 80% Burns

SPEAKER_05 7:43

because all that all that was just told from uh from the police report and then the the Samaritan my parents, police station. So he got to tell her parents a story. And so I'm just gonna walk about that stuff. And then also my my co-worker was there too, because he tried to try the same way home, so he he saw it too. So we got to meet up afterwards, and he told me the real story, like on like he saw when we actually fall sleep up the wheel, which I thought that was pretty interesting. Uh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:23

Yeah, so um, so then so basically you were working overtime, you had an interest in cars, you um were saving for your future, looking for um, you know, doing things that you wanted to do, using the job as a means to get there. And unfortunately, having been having been on an overtime shift, this tragic event happened.

Fighting for Survival: Inside the Coma and Early Recovery

SPEAKER_01 8:47

Um, so now here we are, three months later, three and a half months later, you're out of the coma. What's the first thing you remember?

SPEAKER_05 8:57

Uh the first thing I remember is I asked my mom how the rooms in my car because she was there. She was there every day when I was in the coma. Uh, because my parents were retired. So they so my mom had the luxury of being there all the time. My dad was there all the time too, but he uh had to take care of the dogs at home. So my mom was there, so I should have my rooms in my car. She says, Oh Joe, it's done. Your car is finished. Uh your doctors will explain your medical condition, but your car is done.

SPEAKER_01 9:28

Uh, you asked her was about your car.

SPEAKER_05 9:32

Yeah, I I knew something happened because I was in the hospital. It's like I was kind of putting two together. Uh but you know, they they have you so on so many drugs in there that you just it's all a blur, and you know, I just I just put two together, something happened to me, and I'm in the hostel, so I'm assuming it involved my car because I don't do nothing extreme in my life. I don't like do parachuting or bunching shopping, nothing like that. The only thing extreme I would do is you know, cars, I guess. If people want to call it extreme, but saying something has my car. And she said it's on Go ahead. Your car is done, it's in the junkyard. Uh she said it more like mom though, mom tone, not like uh sound saying it pretty straightforward. Uh she sent that she said it more sentimental value, I guess. And basically, like, yeah, you get to start over again with your car, and uh then the nurses came in, did their nursing stuff, which I don't know, there's like four nurses at once. They pushed my mom to the side, and you know, she wanted to go get coffee or could do the work and just constant questions over and over again, and repeated questions just in case they catch in like something I I said differently or whatever, but they did like their vitals and see if I was stable just in case I should be put back in the coma. Uh, but I was fine, and they said, All right, wait till the doctor comes in tomorrow morning, and you'll know the the severity of your injuries. I was like, Why can't you guys tell me you're in a nurses? You see me, you see me 247. The doctor's at home right now chilling, and you guys are here looking at me and like, well, you don't want to stuck on the doctor's toes, and uh he's gonna operate on you. I was like, All right, well, I guess that's how that works. And so when the doctor came the next morning, he told me you have 80% burns. Uh your eyelids are burnt off. See in the long run, you would have gone blind, so they seatured it in a way. So I was looking at a chain fence and they amputated my fingertips.

SPEAKER_04 11:50

Wow.

SPEAKER_05 11:51

So I wasn't able to hold things with one hand anymore. Uh basically it looked like like baby character fingers and like an L-shaped my hands because they're a stiff from the like the burns. So basically I was doing like an L, I guess, or like a Cobra like sign with your hand.

SPEAKER_04 12:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 12:10

Uh yeah, so he told me that, and not even like a half an hour later, occupational therapy came in and uh physical therapy came in to start, you know, get me back on my feet.

SPEAKER_01 12:24

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So was it um uh I'm sure it was incredibly painful to go through all of this, physically painful and emotionally. How were you how were you feeling emotionally during this time? Because a lot of people may have um decided to check out. And I wanna, I want to really honor the fact that you, my friend, are an incredibly courageous young man to have uh to be going uh to to actually go down the road that you've been going on um since that accident. So I want to acknowledge your courage

Facing Reality: Waking Up to a Completely New Life

SPEAKER_01 12:59

here. So what was the what was going through your mind this whole time, knowing now that the doctor told you were 80% burned, your body was 80% burned, your fingers weren't working, your eyes were covered in and were were different than they were before you had this accident. Um but what was going through your mind?

SPEAKER_05 13:22

So I was like, you know, yeah, kind of it kind of sucks because all of our work is down the drain, but you really had time to think. One, there aren't so many like medications and drugs that like your brain kind of foggy. And then on top of that, everyone is surrounding you, like nurses, therapists, occupational therapy, physical therapies always are surrounding you. Uh I and I think I had a really good team around me that kept me in a good mood and always joking around. Nothing really like severe, like nothing severe happened to me. Always just I was always just joking around with the OTs and PTs, but there was a lot more physical pain with my hands because of the burns. But yeah, I think what what hurt the most is when I found out I couldn't like walk no more at the time. Uh because I was a big I was a big gym guy, always working out in the gym and stuff. So when I woke up from a coma, I wasn't even able to do a crunch. And I was like, well, here goes all this work. I was at that time, I think about six years just down the drain. I started working out like eighth grade summer, and you know, it was all around years, months, you know, without working out, stuff like that. But all that went down the drain, like in three months, one accident down the drain, and it took about five people just to hold me up. Wow, uh yeah, just in like a trying to stand up from the side of the bed. And five people, and like in like the medical world, physiotherapists are mostly girls. I'm I'm 6'1, and at that time I was 170. That's that's that's pretty heavy for like a five-foot girl. So they had to get like like like tall guys from me, like uh they they can only get one guy on the floor that could help me because he was six four, but he was like a little older in his like mid-40s, so he he and it about back too. So he was really putting in a work just to try to hold me up. And like me and him are both out of breath, and all the other physical therapists were like holding me up by the sides as much as they can. Uh what a Jerry got tricky when I tried to start walking, actually walking. That was a that was a fun moment. I wish I had that on camera or something, or someone took the video that because there was like seven people, and then I chaired just in case, and it was a mess.

SPEAKER_01 16:05

Yeah, well,

The Mental Battle: Building Strength After Trauma

SPEAKER_01 16:06

I can imagine that it was quite a struggle for you to get back on your feet again, literally to get back on your feet, let alone take your first steps since this since this accident happened. But um, you did, and what what amazes me is that you have such an incredible sense of humor that you were able to um make light of this in every way possible, as you know, telling jokes to the nurses or whatever. But um, I just your attitude is just just great. You know, people people crush under one tiny little thing that might happen in the in your life. And here you have had um a major, major, major situation, and your your attitude has taken you through a lot of this, I'm sure. How long were you in the hospital after you came out of the coma and went through all this physical therapy? What was your stay in the hospital before they would release you to go home?

SPEAKER_05 17:00

Uh so in the burn unit, I was in there for four months. So like half a month, just again walking up a couple yards uh around a unit basically, because I don't know how many feet that is, but uh I was able to be walked, then I had to go to a burn rehab, and that was a whole mess because when I was in there, they weren't equipped from my situation. So they gave me like the students, so like they thought they thought nothing big of me, just like burns again walking again, but they didn't take into account that the burns can dry up and cut afterwards. So I got a bunch of more new cuts on me and a couple cuts around back of my knees. So that was a huge, that was a huge downfall, like take a couple steps back because it hurt to stand up now. Just it's I was hunched over, and they want they told my dad, you gotta you know open up the the doors in your house so he can have a wheelchair. And my dad went like crazy because like that's one, that's expensive to open up a you know the doorways in your home. And two, I was supposed to be walking out of there, not going backwards in a wheelchair. So I walked into the rehab, and now I'm getting pushed down into a wheelchair. So he called the state, he called the the mayor of that town. And once the state got involved, they switched everything around. And they they gained the best nurses, they gained the charge nurses. The case manager got switched, so something fishy was going on there. I guess they were just doing insurance fraud or whatever, I don't know, but I don't know. Uh they were just bailing the insurance, and it was it got pretty messy. So I was in the burn unit, uh, burn rehab for uh like two months.

SPEAKER_04 18:51

Wow.

SPEAKER_05 18:52

I was only supposed to be in there for like three weeks, maybe a month at the worst, you know.

SPEAKER_01 18:56

Yeah, but you would you your body, 80% of your body being, and I understand because when the skin tightens up after, you know, as the skin is tightening up after the burns and whatnot, I I know that skin can split. And I've burned my hand a couple of times and I know what it feels like, but I can't even imagine what you were going through. So a little bit of a backslide, but you but you got the care that you needed, you know, through this, through the next portion of it. So you were were you actually in a rehab facility or you were able to be at home um and do your rehab at home?

SPEAKER_05 19:33

Yeah, I wasn't in a rehab facilly for a little for a while. Uh so I was able to walk again. Like my dad did not want a wheelchair in the house, you know. Yeah. The whole point was needed to get out of the wheelchair and to walk again.

Shout Out to My Mom: Best Never-Trained Nurse

SPEAKER_05 19:46

And so once I passed the test of walking, I went home, and then my mom had to take care of my cuts, and she did a better job than the actual people in the rehab did, which is it's like my mom's not a nurse, she has nothing medical whatsoever behind her background, you know, it's just she did real estate and stuff like that, you know. And like she's a mom, so it's yeah, nothing medical.

SPEAKER_01 20:11

So then she took care of my the love of a mother will bring you to do things that you never thought you would have to do when it comes to your children. I know I have a child, I have a son who's a little bit older than you, and if any if he needed me for anything, I would learn how to do whatever it takes in as gentle a way as possible in order to be maybe able to make sure that you were um you were getting better. So kudos to your mom. Shout out to your mom for that. Yes.

SPEAKER_05 20:39

Yeah, like I knew she meant business when she shortened her nails for me because she likes uh acrylic nails, that's what they're saying. And so she shortened them so she wouldn't like like poke me. Like you like and like fast, you know, like today. If I need help putting on my my UV gloves to like drive or something, or she has her nails long back again, like how she likes them. They they scrape my hand here and there, it hurts, but you know, she's not doing it constantly, so you know, it's what it's once in a blue moon, she'll do it for me. So I don't mind it, but it's just when she's shorting her nails. I know she meant business. I'm taking care of.

SPEAKER_01 21:20

Yeah. It yep, she she meant business. Um, yeah, and we're gonna we're gonna take a break in just a second, but I wanted to just let everybody know we are talking to Joe DeMeo, and he is the very first person in the world to receive a face and double hand transplant after a tragic accident that burned 80% of his body. And Joe, before we went to break, we talked about the period of time that was between um your coming out of the coma and your family taking care of you, spent having spent some time in a rehab before that, and your mom taking care of you and whatnot. So then

The Road to a Historical Surgery: Preparing for the Impossible

SPEAKER_01 21:58

they discovered that. Probably the best thing for you would be to have the transplants that we're going to talk about. But it was two years time between the time of the accident and the time that you actually had this life-changing surgery. So can you tell me? And then 2020 was COVID. And so you had that hanging over you as well. So but yet you endured. You endured and you are living a life, the best life that you can possibly live, given your circumstances. And then some. I mean, I know, I mean, I met Joe in person, and when he when he came to the restaurant, he was nicely dressed. You're fashion king, you are. Nicely dressed with Jessica on his arm. And um, we had a great time together. So I what tell me a little bit about the the transition from um from how you were before you were actually approved for this transplant.

SPEAKER_05 23:01

Oh yeah. So like uh I went to my Jersey plastic surgeon to see what more he can do for me. And he basically told me like there's something left, uh, you have no more healthy skin. Uh you basically live your life like this, but you'll go blind in the long run. Or uh there's a doctor in New York City that does face transplants, and they're looking to do a face and double hand transplant. And he he says that you might be a good candidate for it. Can I take pictures and videos of you to send to him? So I was like, yeah, like it was an instant yes because I don't want to go blind in the long run. I know healthy skin. Uh so I said yes, and he took pictures, videos, sent it off. It took about like a week and a half, two weeks for Dr. Rodriguez to reach out and call my parents to say, hey, can you come into the city to uh you know talk more about us? So we did. Uh when I first met him, I liked him right away, super humble guy, very nice, straight to the point, which I like uh and honest to. And I once I said yes to him, uh we just got the ball run with a bunch of testing. So he basically know the inside out of me by heart at that time. And uh Jesus uh eligible for a transplant, uh like one small thing can make you not good, you know. And but I passed fine colors, uh nothing internals damaged during the accident, so that was good. And basically at the end, at the end of the testing, COVID hit.

SPEAKER_03 24:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 24:40

And so now at that time they were looking for a donor at that time when COVID hit. So they just you know they kind of they slowed down and they focused on COVID. And to make sure the donor I got didn't have COVID too. That was a big thing. Uh so I got two calls saying they had a donor, but nothing matched up. They weren't they weren't bad, I guess. Uh something didn't match me. The third time was the the green the go-ahead, everything matched. Uh COVID was like dying down a little bit, things opened up more at that time. But in the hospital, it was super strict. Uh my doctor had to get like he's a sheep of plastics, and he had to get special uh he used his his power to get both my parents into the hospital instead of just one.

SPEAKER_02 25:37

Right.

SPEAKER_05 25:37

Because like, you know, I want my mom and dad to be in there with me, not just my mom. Because that's how I would have picked my mom to be there, but you know, who's gonna support my mom, you know? So they had to have that the duo in there because that wouldn't be fair. So he worked as magic and got both of them in there. And uh I think I got to call midday too. My mom was outside doing something. I was inside my dog, and my dad was uh out with his friends because they're opening up stuff again. So I think golfing. So he was having a bucket alone, probably alone with his friends. I don't know. But he's he swung over, picked us up, and went to the city.

SPEAKER_01 26:20

And uh was there a certain amount of time that it took that you had to be in the hospital in order for the the transplant to take place? Was there like a window of time that you had to meet in order to be able to receive the transplant?

SPEAKER_05 26:36

You know, yeah, I had to be in there that day. So uh yeah, it's a good thing. I he said the only reason why I got to surgery is because I lived in New Jersey. If I lived in another state, it wouldn't have happened. Uh so I had to be there that day. Uh I'm guessing because organs can die. Something like I guess something medical, I had to be there that day. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 26:56

Yeah, yeah, that's why. So that the cells don't don't die. Yeah. So okay.

SPEAKER_05 27:02

Yeah, so I was in there within in two hours, because since COVID was still a thing, everything was open, the sheets are open, so it just for me for my for my parents' house at that time was like a 25-minute drive, which was now it's an hour because of traffic, but yeah, without traffic, 25 minutes, which is like a huge difference. Um, and then the that next morning I got the surgery.

SPEAKER_01 27:31

Okay. So the surface was nearly 24 hours to be able to um do the transplant for the face and the two hands, correct?

SPEAKER_05 27:42

Yeah, so like my parents got there. Uh doctors said you should go home, get some rest because she wasn't going tomorrow morning at seven or eight o'clock, I don't remember. And they said, okay. So my parents came back next morning at like 4:30 in the morning. Uh and then my doctor came in at like six o'clock in the morning asking you ready. I was like, Yeah, let's start right now. And he's like, he had to hold up because we had to uh get the rest of the team ready. You know, I was ready to go, but he was trying to see if I was like scared or not like hesitant, because I I could call off the surgery at any time, like they could, you know, just start the anesthesia and call it off, you know. But uh was always an option, but he was trying to see if I was trying to fall off or not. But no, everything went fine. I went through it.

SPEAKER_01 28:37

How did you feel knowing that now you're gonna get a new face um and the burnt skin isn't going to be showing you're getting a new face? How did you feel that you were that this was about to happen? And you said you could have called it off at any time, but obviously you didn't. Um yeah, let me tell let's talk a little bit about how you felt over this whole thing because I'm sure that people um some people have gone through, you know, any kind of organ transplant is always um, there's always a question of whether or not they want to do it, whether or not it's gonna work, blah, blah, blah. The all the things we tell ourselves in our head,

What It Feels Like to Get a Second Chance at Life

SPEAKER_01 29:17

but I can tell just by you saying that they were waiting for you to call it off and you didn't call it off that you were anxious to get this done. So, what were you feeling?

SPEAKER_05 29:26

Uh, I guess out there like butterflies. Uh, but like I went to bed really easily. I I think the most annoying part is just not eating. Uh because I would have liked to have a before, because like my doctor said, like, you know, you can't die. So it's like, well, if I there's a 50-50 chance I'm gonna die, I at least want to have a snack or something before I go, just in case, you know, I don't know. But uh yeah, I think I only got butterflies when they start to woo me down, which I wasn't insane. I wanted to walk down, but he said no. Has the rules he had to get wheelchair down, but just like that's why I think come on, I want to walk at least like uh I think that makes it worse for me not walking getting good because he because he just think more. It's like huh.

SPEAKER_02 30:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 30:19

Like I was ready, but I was trying not to get too much online. Uh I was thinking more about my dog at home than about me.

SPEAKER_01 30:27

How many dogs do you have? What kind of dog do you have?

SPEAKER_05 30:30

Uh he's a Boston Terrier, a brown and white one. So I was more like like, what's like what's he up to instead of me? Uh, I guess that's just me deflecting, being nervous, I guess. I don't know, but I think I got the butterfly, I got more butterflies going through the operating tours than when I was laying on a table. At the table, I was like, I'm ready, like, let's go. Like, no butterflies, no gut feeling, just I was ready. Uh my NP was there. She's every time I go into surgery, she's always there, rubbing my shoulders, rubbing my head. And uh and I fall asleep to that, which is I don't have to check, or it's just I don't know, but I I think that helped me go under.

SPEAKER_01 31:21

Yeah, and who is this that who was this that was doing that for you?

SPEAKER_05 31:25

Uh she's uh her name's Alison, she's my nurse practitioner. Uh she's always there either by my shoulder or my head, asking if I was okay, I think I'm okay, and then lights out.

SPEAKER_01 31:37

Lights out, okay. And so um when we come back from our break, which is gonna be in just a couple of minutes, we're gonna talk about um after that, but um 24 hours, and then um you're gonna your lights out on the table, you're getting your surgery, 24 hours pass, and then um how long were you in the hospital after that surgery?

SPEAKER_05 32:02

Uh I want to say a month and a half, two months because when I was ready to get released by Thanksgiving time, it was like two weeks before Thanksgiving. Uh my parents got COVID.

SPEAKER_01 32:20

Oh no.

SPEAKER_05 32:21

Yeah, so I was in the rehab side of the hospital, like getting ready to go, I'm ready to go. I'm tired of the hospital food, even though my parents were doing this outside food a lot. They helped, I think that's what helped me. I think that's what got me through this surgery because uh my parents bring me outside food because the hospital food just doesn't have enough proteins for me and like my body type. They're strictly on the food. Um, I'm assuming they had the food laid out for older people, so they had like certain foods for them, but like for a young kid like me that just went to this type of surgery, I eat a lot of protein, and I understood that.

SPEAKER_01 33:02

And how old were when how old were you when the transplant happened?

SPEAKER_05 33:07

I was uh 22 years old.

SPEAKER_01 33:08

22. Okay. Yeah, yeah. So I don't couldn't wait to get out to have Thanksgiving dinner. You're such a foodie like me.

SPEAKER_05 33:16

Yeah, and like I uh that's the reason I remember because of Thanksgiving and uh I mean we had things to him in New York City for the first time, which it wasn't the best because it was COVID, so everything was closed and it's only takeout, especially in New York City, it's only takeout that time. Uh Normdoor dining, so I was like, this you know, it doesn't taste the same when it's not indoors. Uh even though we went to the one of my favorite steakhouses, uh, it still didn't taste the same. I I knew what it tastes like. I've had it a bunch of times, and it still tastes different, you know, having it inside a New York City apartment.

SPEAKER_04 33:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 33:57

But like that week, my parents couldn't come see me, I think was the hardest week because I didn't get no outside food. But uh the nurses there were like super nice and they they brought me food. And so yeah, and like I still talk to them till to this day. Uh talking in there and we're like really close to him because I'll never go back to that side of the hospital uh because if it's the rehab side, yeah. The only time I go into the hospital now is for the the transplant side, so I'm allowed to talk to them. And uh the funny thing is my my girlfriend got to work with uh one of the night nurses I was with, and she would not stop talking about me, the night nurse, and uh you know it was it was a nice floor, she's super nice.

SPEAKER_01 34:53

Is that when you met Jessica? Is that when you met her?

unknown 34:55

No.

SPEAKER_05 34:56

No, I I met Jessica online and I uh I DM'd her on Instagram got her dog. She was living in Cleveland at the time, working on the Cleveland unit, so you know, just having a resume to better resume. Because the Cleveland Clinic is the second best hostel in the United States. And she did not want to go to Minnesota because that's the first uh hostel, uh the male clinic is the first best hostile in the United States, but she couldn't do Minnesota, so she did Cleveland. And so I just DMed her from that from her dogs.

SPEAKER_01 35:34

Okay. So let's let's stop there now because I wanna, I want when we come back from this break, which we have to take right now, we'll talk about how um what drew you to Jessica about her dog, and um, and we'll talk about uh you know going forward after the transplants. And Joe, um, you know, one of the callers that came in um on our our line has a question for you. They are saying that you your speech, your clarity of speech is so good, um, and that we can understand everything that you're saying, where many people might have not been able to um, you know, have gotten that that skill back again, or may have, maybe they didn't have it in the first place, but obviously you did. Um, is there anything that you went through that may have actually been able to give you uh the ability to speak better, or was it ever affected from the um from the accident?

SPEAKER_05 36:35

Yeah, so my speech wasn't my voice wasn't affected from the accident, but uh I do pronounce certain words raw, like my like Ts and B's. So sometimes when I say transplant too fast, forget to say the P in it. And you know, if I sometimes I talk too fast and I mess up my words, the swelling does prevent me for saying certain words.

SPEAKER_03 37:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 37:02

So like uh when I'm going through a rejection or something, like an affection or something, uh my face feels a little puffy and it's harder for me to talk.

SPEAKER_02 37:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 37:13

So the only swelling prevents you for saying certain words.

SPEAKER_01 37:19

I I think that um that's a that's a good answer and a good point because um, you know, swelling, or even even like I'm thinking about like when I whenever I have dental work done, you know, when they give you that Novocaine, it causes swelling. And even after the Novocaine wears off, I still can't pronounce, you know, my tongue gets all crazy, whatever, but you're doing really good. I'm I'm I'm impressed with who you are and how you be and and all the things that um you go through, you're still able to keep your incredibly good attitude and your courageous going through every single thing that you have to go through as you hit some stumbling blocks along the way with the transplant.

Learning to Live Again: Movement, Identity, and Independence

SPEAKER_01 38:00

So um before we went to break, we talked about how you met Jessica and um the uh you said the dog. You come you commented on her dog. Why? She had the same kind of dog as you?

SPEAKER_05 38:15

Uh yeah, so we have the same dog as a Boston Terrier. Uh she has a black and white one. I have a brown and white one.

SPEAKER_01 38:24

Mm-hmm. And uh And what are their names? What are their names?

SPEAKER_05 38:29

Uh the black and white one is Kirkland, and the brown and white one is Buster, which is my dog. And uh Kirkland's her dog.

SPEAKER_01 38:41

Okay. Okay. And so you you met her over the dogs, and you um and she was in um not where she wanted to be. She wanted to be in Minnesota, but then and then how did she end up? How did she end up in New York? Was it a transfer or was it you that brought her there?

SPEAKER_05 39:03

It was like a she wanted to do travel nursing. And so like when we were talking, she wanted travel nursing, so she was do a travel job in New York City, uh, because she's originally from LA. And so like so she just used that address to do uh an uh travel job in New York City, and then uh we just went from there, we got an apartment together, and we just like went from there, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:37

Yeah. So you the two of you have a really incredible relationship, and um, I know that she supports you in every way, but tell me what when you um when you woke up from the from the face transplant um and the hand transplant, tell me a little bit about the hands. That the hands. I know that you said earlier that they had to amputate your finger fingers, and are your hands um I know that you can use them, and you said something about the the gloves. Uh you I would imagine that you need to shield your skin from the sun as much as you can, yes?

SPEAKER_05 40:12

I guess so. Uh with a transplant, you can't be uh in the sun too long. Uh I can cause rejection for me at least. I don't know about a kidney or heart though, or another inside transplant. But uh I have to care for the sun, extreme heat uh can also cause rejection too, extreme cold, so extreme weathers can cause rejection. I do wear like long sleeve shirts in the summertime, UV protection, long-sea shirts like fishermen wear, like on the boats. I also wear EV gloves with uh driving or walking around because I have to. Uh I also wear like sun hats to protect my face and sunglasses. Uh because my eyes were my eyes were affected during the crash, so I can't see protect some of our.

SPEAKER_01 41:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 41:07

I wear sunglasses to protect to protect them.

SPEAKER_01 41:10

Do you know anything about your donor?

SPEAKER_05 41:13

Uh no, he uh passed away at 48 and from a stroke. That's it. It's also a donor family, if they want to tell me anything or not. Uh, but I always tell like I always say online that I'm willing to meet up with them uh with no cameras. I don't know if the hospital, the donor, like the donor team says like you have to this has to be on video for for research purposes. And but like I think that's not if they said I don't know. I'm just saying that just to say that. I don't know if they said that or not. But uh I think that'll be pretty messed up. Any cameras that it's a pretty sentimental moment, it's not like a heart, kidney, or lung transcent where it's inside, it's someone's open on someone else's face and hands, and they can see and they can feel it too from the hands in face, you know. So I think, you know, I think it could take time for them, but it's been four years now, so I don't know if they they're if they're still on it or if they uh just forgot about it, but I don't know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:18

Well, it must be pretty traumatic for them too. So um, yeah, the both of the both of you, their hit their family and and you as the recipient and your family as the parents of the recipient. So um, but let's let's switch to like what what you're doing with your life today. You you said you mentioned that you're driving, you have, and I know that you love to drive, so um, you're able to drive. And then you just recently started something um that you want to tell people what you're doing as far as the shirts are concerned and the name of your company.

80 Percent Gone T-shirts and Website

SPEAKER_05 42:52

Oh yeah, so like I started a t-shirt brand called 80% gone. It's not out yet. I'm still I'm still printing them and working at the kinks. It's uh a lot easier than I thought, uh harder than I thought, but uh every time I get like T suspower, I take one step back because of my hands. Uh I remember I was on a roll once before July in June in June. I was getting things rolling, but then I got admitted to hospital for infection on my neck, which is the blue tape, it's still there, it's the cut is still there, and that's from a biopsy. So I had going for that. And then they took me off a transplant medication called Everlimus. And the side effect to that is you know, slower wound healing. So they took me off of that too quickly. They released me from the hospital, and then I had an errorimus withdrawal because aerolymus is also a cancer drug where it helps chemo. So my hands and like my whole body like turned red and it was painful. I told my doctors. I'm on pain instantly now, and there's no like gradual pain. There's like instant pain. I woke up and so we gotta come back in. So I went back in again for every uh withdrawal for about like a week and s or so, and then got out for a couple days, got another infection in my hand from a cut I had. So the whole month, so I went in June 19th, all the way to August 2nd. I was in the hospital.

SPEAKER_03 44:33

Wow.

SPEAKER_05 44:34

Maybe like two or three days out at home uh during June. So like June was shot, and that's when I had everything released in July.

SPEAKER_01 44:45

Yeah. So um, yeah, you've got you've got quite a journey. You've you've been on quite a journey. And um, you know, I'm I have been praying for you. I know that a lot of people who know you um online, uh, your story is online, um, and you've got you've got a Facebook page, you've got uh TikTok channel, you've got uh other social media, correct? Where people can can stay in touch with you and learn a little bit about you as you go through this recovery process and the settling down of all of these things that you have been going through. Um, do you want people to know uh more? Are you releasing information as you go through this process?

SPEAKER_05 45:30

Yeah, I post a lot on my Instagram at 80% gone. I kind of slowed down my TikTok because I'm just I'm in like a I guess like a cloudy stage in my head. There's nothing really like I haven't been doing much because it's summertime.

SPEAKER_02 45:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 45:45

So like I hadn't been going outside to you know do activities. Uh Jessica got super busy with her job, her schedule got switched around. So she has a second shift, so it's like her whole day is shot.

SPEAKER_04 45:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 45:57

Uh so I have no one to film me, do anything. Uh and then on top of that, it's just too sunny for me. So I just stay inside all day and just work on my shirts and I work out the kinks and the logo and everything. But uh it's just been a rough couple of months for me, but um, I'm getting it better and better.

SPEAKER_01 46:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 46:18

Uh slowly though.

SPEAKER_01 46:20

Yeah. But your attitude is great, you know, like you're seeing the other side of this whole thing, then you'll get back to the you know, the shirts and the logos and the things that you do. And I understand um the hands. I can imagine that they had to tie a lot of nerves together in order for you to be able to get full use of those hands. And physical therapy is probably a big part of your a part of your world still where that's concerned, yes.

SPEAKER_05 46:47

I had actually had to stop it because I was going through everything. Uh so I'm actually starting in two weeks uh occupational therapy uh closer to home. Uh so it's a lot easier for me. And I stay out of the city because every time I went to the city, I'd get reminiscing a house every three months. And my record was seven months until I got the instruction on that.

SPEAKER_01 47:14

Yeah. So how here's a question for you. How can people support you in your journey? What would you is there anything people can do to support you?

SPEAKER_05 47:24

I just share my story. Uh so you go on Instagram page and share it. That's like the best way. I don't I don't like asking for money. I did have a fund me for like medical transport because my my team did not couldn't help me with the transport getting to my appointment. So uh and I I just can't take public transportation because it can it's a huge infection rate.

SPEAKER_03 47:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 47:49

And every time I take public transportation, I get MRSA.

SPEAKER_01 47:52

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_05 47:53

Which is an infection.

SPEAKER_01 47:55

Oh joy.

SPEAKER_05 47:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 47:57

Joy. Do you have your story online? Um I know you have a website. What's the website? And is part of your story on that site?com. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_05 48:11

Uh there's there's there's pictures on there that aren't allowed on TikTok and Instagram. Like me on the side of the road, all burnt. Uh I'm just happy my underwear didn't burn off because I was just wearing my underwear. Like my parents were like, and well, my friend was there too. She's the one who got the picture, my friend. She was like, This is gonna be pretty traumatic. And the first thing I said was, Thank God our underwear didn't burn off. Because my my shorts were burnt. You know, it was it was summer, it was July, so I was wearing shorts and t-shirt. And like, yeah, and my socks were burnt either, which is interesting. I still had socks on.

SPEAKER_01 48:56

Yeah. Yeah, strange. Uh uh, Joe. I I can't believe we're out of time. Uh, we have a one minute left, and I just want to say a huge thank you for agreeing to have this conversation with me on conversations that make a difference. Your um, your sense of humor, your um positive attitude, your courageous spirit all speak to my heart. And I hope that people who are watching this will have the same feeling that I have. Is there anything last that you want to say before we go?

SPEAKER_05 49:30

Oh, it was nice being on here and talking to you again.

SPEAKER_01 49:33

Yeah, it's it was great to talk to you and to learn more about your journey. Um, and I just hope that uh I hope that people are moved by this and want to know more. They stay in touch with you, maybe they want to get to know you better. Um, and you're and your story is one of um, like I said, I can't use the word courage enough with you because it's it's beyond me. I don't know what I would have done given the circumstances and the situation. But you pressed on and you're pressing on and you're creating a business and you're telling your story and you're bringing hope to people who may not have had hope. So I thank you for that. And I thank you for joining me on conversations that make a difference. And for those of you who are listening, my my hope for you is that every conversation that you're having is not only making a difference in your life, but making a difference in the lives of people you talk to and people you love. Joe, thank you again. And I hope we'll we'll visit with you another time on conversations that make a difference. Thanks so much.

SPEAKER_00 50:35

Thank you. That brings us to the close of another episode of Conversations That Make a Difference with host Teresa Villardi. We want to sincerely thank you for tuning in and sharing your time with us today. Our greatest hope is that today's discussion inspired your personal growth, encouraged you to share your unique gift, and gave you the courage to write your own magnificent story. If this message resonated with you, let's keep the conversation going. Take a moment to like, comment, and subscribe on YouTube and follow us on our Conversations That Make a Difference Facebook page. This will ensure you never miss a moment of inspiration. We air new episodes every Tuesday at 5 p.m. Eastern time. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe. It truly helps us reach and empower more people. Until next time, keep making a difference. We look forward to welcoming you back next Tuesday to our next conversation.