How a Transplanted Face Transformed a Young Woman’s Life
August 15, 2018 11:47 AM Subscribe
Katie Stubblefield is the world's youngest face transplant recipient. National Geographic explores her history, transplant, and future. (NB: Graphic photos and mention of suicide attempt) At 18, Katie Stubblefield attempted suicide with a hunting rifle. She survived, but the bullet destroyed most of her face. Three years later she would become the youngest person to receive a still-experimental face transplant from donor Adrea Schneider.
To imagine what was lost of Katie's face, hold your hands up to your face, palms out, your thumbs touching beneath your chin and your index fingers touching between your eyebrows. Your hands are framing the part of Katie’s face she lost. Gone were part of her forehead; her nose and sinuses; her mouth, except for the corners of her lips; and much of her mandible and maxilla, the bones that make up the jaws and front of the face. Her eyes remained, but they were askew and badly damaged. Beyond the wound to her face, she had traumatic brain injury from the bullet’s concussive force to her frontal lobe, optic nerve, and pituitary gland. One surgeon said it was the worst face trauma he had seen in 27 years of practice.
A few extra photos and some interview clips here (also from NatGeo).
To imagine what was lost of Katie's face, hold your hands up to your face, palms out, your thumbs touching beneath your chin and your index fingers touching between your eyebrows. Your hands are framing the part of Katie’s face she lost. Gone were part of her forehead; her nose and sinuses; her mouth, except for the corners of her lips; and much of her mandible and maxilla, the bones that make up the jaws and front of the face. Her eyes remained, but they were askew and badly damaged. Beyond the wound to her face, she had traumatic brain injury from the bullet’s concussive force to her frontal lobe, optic nerve, and pituitary gland. One surgeon said it was the worst face trauma he had seen in 27 years of practice.
A few extra photos and some interview clips here (also from NatGeo).
This post was deleted for the following reason: this is a pretty graphic post; contact us about reframing -- LobsterMitten
« Older Hilary Woods' Colt - mysterious, dark and... | Stop telling me to turn my brain off during movies Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments