Maurice Desjardins spent 7 and a half years with his face destroyed.
It all began in 2011, when a hunting accident left him without a jaw, a nose, or teeth. Breathing, eating, and speaking stopped being automatic acts and became a daily battle. He lived with constant pain, breathed through an opening in his neck, and slept in another room because of the noise from his tracheostomy. He underwent 5 reconstructive surgeries, and none gave him an acceptable life.
In May 2018, at 64, he underwent an operation lasting about 30 hours at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital in Montreal. More than 100 professionals, led by surgeon Daniel Borsuk, transplanted the jaws, nose, lips, and teeth of a deceased donor. It was Canada’s first full face transplant, and the hospital described him as the world’s oldest recipient at the time.
Months later, he was breathing without a tracheostomy, chewing with his new jaws, and could smell and speak better. He had just one wish: to go for a walk with his granddaughter without anyone staring at him. Behind it all was a family who, amid their own grief, said yes to the donation. 🙏
