"I had world's first face and double hand transplant - my donor was TWICE my age"
- 10 months ago
The first person to ever have a successful face and double hand transplant has found love five years on - and revealed his new donor face is TWICE his age.
Joe DiMeo, 24, suffered third degree burns to 80% of his body and had his fingertips amputated after his Dodge Challenger crashed and burst into flames in July 2018.
He underwent 20 reconstructive plastic surgeries and skin grafts before spending 23 hours in August 2020 having the pioneering surgery.
He's now revealed details about his face donor for the first time - a 48-year-old male stroke victim.
And how he has found love with girlfriend Jessica Koby, 32, who got together after she sent him an Instagram message two years ago, when she read about his story.
Joe told how his friends abandoned him after his accident – but he says he doesn’t miss them because it proves they weren’t true mates.
And how he can now lift himself out of bed and even DRIVE again now, thanks to extensive therapy.
Joe says it is “amazing” to be more independent and also revealed a fellow burns survivor told him hearing his story stopped them from committing suicide.
Joe DiMeo, 24, suffered third degree burns to 80% of his body and had his fingertips amputated after his Dodge Challenger crashed and burst into flames in July 2018.
He underwent 20 reconstructive plastic surgeries and skin grafts before spending 23 hours in August 2020 having the pioneering surgery.
He's now revealed details about his face donor for the first time - a 48-year-old male stroke victim.
And how he has found love with girlfriend Jessica Koby, 32, who got together after she sent him an Instagram message two years ago, when she read about his story.
Joe told how his friends abandoned him after his accident – but he says he doesn’t miss them because it proves they weren’t true mates.
And how he can now lift himself out of bed and even DRIVE again now, thanks to extensive therapy.
Joe says it is “amazing” to be more independent and also revealed a fellow burns survivor told him hearing his story stopped them from committing suicide.