You may have heard many incredible stories, but Patrick Hardison’s life from Mississippi is truly astonishing!
In 2015, Patrick became the first man to undergo a face transplant after suffering severe facial disfigurement from a house fire in 2001.
He started as a volunteer firefighter, always ready to hel
Patrick’s burns on his face and scalp were classified as 3rd degree burns. He also had burns on his head, neck and upper torso. His lips were completely destroyed along with most of his nose and eyelid tissue.
“I didn’t actually see myself until probably November. I got injured in September,” Patrick told Fox News. “They had cut a little pinhole in one of my eyelids because they had everything covered, skin graft. I looked in the mirror and all I could do, I said, ‘this is it? I can’t do this,’” he recalled.
Believe it or not, Patrick had to sustain over 70 surgeries and other procedures. He couldn’t close his eyes and doctors managed to put together flaps of skin to protect his vision, but there was always the risk of going blind…
Every meal brought Patrick immense pain, and he struggled to look in the mirror, feeling the stares of others. He avoided socializing, even with his children, often wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses, and ear prosthetics for protection.
“It was a tough time. I never got a break from the injury,” he told Yahoo! Sports. “You have to prepare for kids running off screaming.”
Patrick lost hope for a normal life until he learned about Isabelle Dinoire, the first woman to receive a face transplant after being disfigured. Inspired, he met Dr. Eduardo D. Rodriguez at NYU Langone Medical Center, who promised to help if a matching donor was found.
Eventually, LiveOnNY found a match in 26-year-old David Rodebaugh, who was declared brain dead after a bike accident. His mother, Nancy Millar, chose to donate his organs, saying, “You better save his face. He has the face of a porcelain doll.”
She hoped her son’s legacy would help save someone else’s life. When Nancy met Patrick, she saw a strength in him that reminded her of David.
After the swelling was better and he learned how to talk and swallow again, Patrick met with Nancy, the donor’s mother. She had one heartwarming request: to kiss Patrick on the forehead.
“I said, ‘Can I kiss your forehead?’” Nancy said. “That’s the one thing I wanted to do because every night before David went to bed when he was little, I kissed his forehead.”
“I’ve been waiting a year to meet her. I’m just very grateful,” Patrick added. “Without her, it wouldn’t have been possible. It’s like she’s family. We connected that easily.”
