Patrick Hardison had spent 14 years in hiding when he was finally able to look at himself without fear.
He was a volunteer firefighter in Senatobia, Mississippi, when a burning building collapsed on him in 2001. He underwent 71 reconstructive surgeries and lived with his eyelids partially sewn shut to protect his eyes. He could see only through small openings. Children ran away when they saw him, and every day he woke up and forced himself to face the world.
In August 2015, he received the most extensive face transplant performed up to that point, the first to include a scalp and functional eyelids. At 52, he eats, breathes, hears, and sees normally. He drives himself, has a full head of hair, and goes to the gym twice a week.
One of the best moments of his life came when he saw his children after the operation. His daughter Alison, 31, says she hugged him and felt his warm cheeks, something she hadn’t felt for 14 years.
“If I had to do it again, I would do it without hesitation”, Patrick says. His next goal is to meet his donor’s family, an artist aged 26 who died in a bicycle accident in Brooklyn.