In September of 2001, volunteer firefighter Patrick Hardison was severely injured while trying to rescue a woman from a burning building. He had third degree burns on his upper torso, neck, and head. He has since had 71 surgeries and was left almost completely blind.
A father of three, Hardison continued to go to baseball despite the staring he endured. However, in 2014, a sliver of hope was found. A friend of Hardison contacted Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez who had done a face transplant in 2012. Hardison was placed on a waitlist for tissue donation.
The doctors had to be very selective when choosing a donor. The donor had to match biological traits to lessen the chances of Hardison’s body rejecting the tissue. In 2015, the tissue of David P. Rodebaugh, 26, who had died in a biking accident, was donated. Rodebaugh was an organ and tissue donor and his mother signed off on the donation of his face and ears.
In August, Hardison went into surgery. It lasted 26 hours and included the attachment of four bones. The hospital paid for the procedure.
Hardison is still recovering but the results have been amazing. He is undergoing physical therapy at NYU Langone Medical Center, where he underwent surgery, but he is expected to be home by Thanksgiving. His scars are very well hidden and his new scalp is even growing hair. His new eyelids will help him see. His face is swollen, but that is expected to go down. Hardison has a long way to go, but is expected to recover well and have a better life.
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A father of three, Hardison continued to go to baseball despite the staring he endured. However, in 2014, a sliver of hope was found. A friend of Hardison contacted Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez who had done a face transplant in 2012. Hardison was placed on a waitlist for tissue donation.
The doctors had to be very selective when choosing a donor. The donor had to match biological traits to lessen the chances of Hardison’s body rejecting the tissue. In 2015, the tissue of David P. Rodebaugh, 26, who had died in a biking accident, was donated. Rodebaugh was an organ and tissue donor and his mother signed off on the donation of his face and ears.
In August, Hardison went into surgery. It lasted 26 hours and included the attachment of four bones. The hospital paid for the procedure.
Hardison is still recovering but the results have been amazing. He is undergoing physical therapy at NYU Langone Medical Center, where he underwent surgery, but he is expected to be home by Thanksgiving. His scars are very well hidden and his new scalp is even growing hair. His new eyelids will help him see. His face is swollen, but that is expected to go down. Hardison has a long way to go, but is expected to recover well and have a better life.
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Viewer Discretion is advised