The man who underwent the world's first face and double hand transplant has told of his horrific car accident where he suffered third-degree burns across 80 per cent of his body when he crashed in July 2018.
Joe DiMeo, from Clark, New Jersey, underwent 20 reconstructive plastic surgeries and a skin graft before spending 23 hours in August 2020 having the pioneering surgery.
Joe's face was donated by a stroke victim who died at 48.
After reading about his extensive surgeries two years ago, Jessica Koby, 32, from southern California, was inspired by his positive outlook and sent him a message on Instagram.
Joe told her how many of his friends abandoned him after his accident - but he says he doesn't miss them as it proved they weren't true pals.
The pair quickly bonded over their shared love of Boston Terrier dogs and have slowly gotten to know each other over the past two years.
Jessica, who works as a nurse, said: "We developed a relationship initially long distance, and then I moved from southern California to be closer to him, and it has been great ever since.
"He is a pretty quiet guy, so at first, when you're just getting to know him, he keeps to himself and just observes his surroundings.
"He is very knowledgeable, and anyone he talks to he can carry a conversation with.
"I really like that about him because I think that someone who is educated and speaks well is very attractive. I love that he is gentle, kind and he is so courageous.
"For everything he has gone through, he remains so positive and such a light.
"I love Joe inside and out because he is a funny guy. He knew what he wanted in life and was very mature for his age."
Since his operation, Joe has undergone extensive therapy, so much so that he can now lift himself out of bed and drive again.
"It didn't feel weird being given the face of someone nearly twice my age because I was just completely ready to start my life again, he said.
"This is who I am now, and I came to terms with that quite quickly, really.
"When I was burnt, I was not looking for love, but I was always confident it would happen eventually because I am the same on the inside.
"Nothing has changed besides my skin.
"Now it's really just amazing getting independence again.
"After surgery, I was like at zero per cent - I couldn't really do anything.
"Now I feel like I'm at 50 per cent. I can cook, clean, and do laundry, and I can move my phone better.
"I can drive again. I just drive my girlfriend's Subaru Crosstrek. I don't have my own car yet.
"I didn't really think I could motivate people until someone DM'd me saying, 'You saved me from suicide.'
"I never thought I could do that with my story, and that has pushed me to share it more and more."
Joe's accident happened when he fell asleep at the wheel on his way home from a night shift working in a food testing laboratory in July 2018 in Hillside, New Jersey.
The vehicle blew up, and he was pulled from the wreckage.
"I was 80 per cent burnt," he explained.
"They had to amputate my fingertips to the second knuckle, and then they had to suture my eyelids because they were burned. It was like looking out of a chain link fence.
"I was ready for the transplant when it was offered to me. I didn't want to live how I was living."
"I even wanted a guy or a girl just to make the process faster.
"I told my doctor I would prefer a girl's face just so I wouldn't have to shave all the time.”
Joe’s surgery was conducted by 16 doctors and was carried out between two operating theatres at NYU Langone Health in New York.
More than 120 other health care professionals also took part.
For the first time since his transplants, Joe has spoken about his donor - who passed away when he was double Joe's current age.
"My donor was a 48-year-old stroke victim from Delaware who died two days before my surgery," he said.
"That's literally all I know because the doctors flat-out refused to tell me any more."
"They took the skin and then the muscles, the tendons, the nerves and all the little veins that are attached to it to get the blood to flow to the skin.
"It was really intense when I came round. As soon as I woke up I had nurses and occupational therapists on me instantly.
"It was super difficult. For the first couple of weeks I wasn't physically able to even move my fingers.
"They would have to move them for me just so the muscle memory could get there.
"I was trying to get muscle memory by pinching each finger and then pretending to pick up foam cubes and trying to grab a water bottle.
"When people saw me for the first time, my parents were happy and everyone was happy for me.
"When I had the accident, I lost a lot of fake friends.
"It was sad to see my fake friends all go but then you realise who your real friends are and you appreciate them more.
"So all I had left was my real friends and they have always supported me in whatever I wanted to do.
"People look at me, which doesn't bother me.
"I'm 6"1' and wide and then on top of that I wear short sleeves a lot of the time so you can see my burnt arms.
"So I don't mind people staring because I would stare too.
"I could do a pity party but that's just not me.
"I'm writing a book so I want to get that out, we're looking at houses because our apartment is just too small for us right now, and I'd like to get my own car.
"I'll be on medication for the rest of my life. I take like 15 pills a day.
"The main three just prevent my transplants from being rejected and the rest are just electrolytes that all the transplant meds take away.”
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, worldwide, surgeons have completed at least 18 face transplants and 35 hand transplants.
Simultaneous face and double hand transplants are extremely rare and have only been tried twice before.
The first attempt was in 2009 on a patient in Paris who died about a month later from complications.
Two years after that, Boston doctors tried it again on a woman who was mauled by a chimpanzee but ultimately had to remove the transplanted hands days later.
