The incredible life story of Patrick Hardison from Mississippi is truly astonishing. He made history in 2015 as the first American to receive a face transplant after suffering severe injuries to his face and neck in a house fire.
Patrick had a wonderful life until tragedy struck in 2001.
He had been a volunteer firefighter, so when he was called to help with a house fire, he jumped at the chance. Unfortunately, while he was inside, the building collapsed on him, trapping him and causing terrible burns to his face and torso.
“My mask was melting onto my face,” Patrick remembered. “My hose was already melted.”
Jimmy Neal, a friend and fellow first responder, shared with CBS News, “For someone who does what we do for a living, I’ve never seen anyone burned that badly who was still alive.”
Patrick had really serious burns on his face and scalp. He also got burned on his head, neck, and upper body. The fire took away his ears, lips, most of his nose, and a lot of the skin on his eyelids.
“I didn’t actually see my face until around November. I got hurt in September,” Patrick shared with Fox News. “They made a tiny hole in one of my eyelids because everything was covered with skin grafts. When I looked in the mirror, I thought, ‘Is this really me? I can’t handle this,’” he remembered.
Over the years, this man had to go through more than 70 surgeries and other treatments. He couldn’t close his eyes, but doctors managed to use skin flaps to help protect his vision. However, he was still at risk of losing his sight.
Patrick found it really hard to eat because it hurt a lot. He couldn’t get used to his life because he didn’t like looking at himself in the mirror. No matter where he went, people stared at him, and it was tough for him to be around anyone, even his own kids.
To keep himself safe and hidden, Patrick always wore sunglasses and a baseball cap. He also had a special ear piece.
“I had kids. It was a really hard time. I never got a break from the pain. Every time I went out in public, it was the same thing. It’s just so hard to explain,” he shared with Yahoo! Sports.
“When you go to the ball field, you have to get ready for the kid who runs off screaming.”
As the years passed, Patrick began to lose hope of ever living a normal life. Then, something amazing happened. A French woman named Isabelle Dinoire underwent a partial face transplant after her face was badly injured by her dog. This was a groundbreaking procedure, the first of its kind, and it sparked a flicker of hope in Patrick, who was really having a tough time.
Patrick then met Dr. Eduardo D. Rodriguez at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York. He told Patrick that he could perform the transplant surgery if they could find a suitable donor. It was a challenging task, but one day, unexpectedly, a donor was found. LiveOnNY, a nonprofit organization that helps coordinate organ donations in New York, discovered a match. The face Patrick was about to receive belonged to 26-year-old David Rodebaugh, who had suffered a severe head injury in a bike accident and had been declared brain dead.
Nancy Millar, the mother of a young man, made the brave choice to donate her son’s organs, even his face. She shared with People, “I told them, ‘You have to save his face. He looks like a porcelain doll.’ We had talked about him being a donor.”
The idea that someone could receive her son’s face gave her comfort, knowing that David would live on in the lives of those he helped, including a man named Patrick.
When Nancy met Patrick, she felt a powerful energy from him that reminded her of David. “He had this strong, manly vibe — just like David,” she remembered.
“David always dreamed of being a firefighter, and I thought if Patrick was a firefighter too, willing to run into danger to save others, then he had the same kind of strength that David had.”
The day of the transplant surgery finally came. The operation took a grueling 26 hours and involved a team of 100 skilled professionals.
The stakes were incredibly high, and Patrick had only a 50/50 chance of making it through. Fortunately, the surgery was a great success. He got a new face, scalp, ears, and ear canals. Plus, he received eyelids that let him blink naturally, which helped protect his eyesight.
“Everything in life has a risk,” Patrick shared with Time Magazine.
“When it’s your time to go, you’ll go—whether you’re walking down the street and get hit by a car or you’re lying on the operating table.”
After Patrick got better from the swelling and figured out how to talk and swallow again, he finally met the mother of his donor. Nancy had just one wish: to give Patrick a kiss on the forehead.
“I asked her, ‘Can I kiss your forehead?’” Nancy explained. “That’s something I really wanted to do because every night when David was a little boy, I would kiss his forehead before he went to sleep.”
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting her for a whole year. I’m just really thankful,” Patrick said. “Without her, none of this would have happened. It feels like she’s part of my family. We connected so easily.”
Since the surgery, Patrick has been taking anti-rejection medication to help his body accept his new face, and he’s doing really well. He didn’t just get a new face; he got a whole new life!
Now, he’s divorced and is busy writing a book that he hopes will inspire others who feel stuck in tough situations. “I want to show everyone that there is always hope. I don’t want people who were in my shoes years ago to think they have to settle for a bad situation. You can achieve anything,” Patrick explains.
Many people call his recovery a miracle. With the help of Nancy, Dr. Rodriguez, his team, and Patrick’s determination, he is now a very happy man.