Face Transplant Amazes Me

I remember hearing about the first official face transplant in the US around Christmas or the beginning of the year, and I wondered what on earth that really meant. The woman who had it done wanted to stay anonymous and no one was giving out the details of what they did to her or what exactly was wrong with her to begin with. Now, the face transplant recipient has come forward and identified herself.

Her name is Connie Culp, and she used to be beautiful, at least on the outside. I don't know much about her personality or her spirit, but I imagine she is a fighter and a survivor... and a victim. She didn't want to talk about the details of how her face became so mutilated, but reporters tell us that her husband shot her in the face at close range outside a restaurant, then shot himself. What amazes me about the story is that neither one of them died, but the bastard only is in jail for 7 years. Really? Seven for attempted murder? It sounds completely ridiculous to me, but I'm not a judge so whatever. Poor Connie is all I can say to that.

The gunshot to her face took her nose, her upper jaw, and most of her cheekbones. She has not been able to smell or eat normal foods since. With the help of a donor, who has not been identified but who in death has become a hero if you ask me, Connie got a new nose, a new upper lip, cheekbones and a new lease on life.

The before and after pictures of the surgery are shocking. You can tell that she is still swollen and that her face still doesn't look quite normal, but she looks like a woman again. There are still a few surgeries to go, but I think that once the entire process has been finished, she will be so much happier and look so much better than she ever dreamed possible. It just amazes me what science and technology can do for someone with almost no hope.

As a message to Connie: You are an inspiration to us all. Life is unpredictable, and no one knows when they might find everything changed in the blink of an eye, be it from a wreck, a storm, or another person's anger. But you have taught us that there is hope when all seems lost. You are an inspiration in your bravery and your ability to keep going and not give up hope.