When Rebekah Aversano ’s brother was kill three year ago , she did n’t await she ’d ever get the chance to touch his face again . In a remarkable serial publication of events that would n’t have been out of place in the 1997 celluloid Face / Off , Aversano see her dead brother ’s aspect on another man . The emotional segment , which was filmed by60 Minutes Australia , saw Rebekah meet Richard Norris — the man who received her dead brother ’s face in a cutting - edge transplant operating room .
Richard Norris was disfigured in a shotgun stroke 15 class ago , which caused him to lose his jaws , lip and olfactory organ . Norris became blue and self-destructive after a serial publication of surgeries , which had limited succeeder . " For the past 15 years I lived as a solitudinarian hiding behind a operative mask and doing most of my shopping at night when less people were around , " Norris said in astatement .
Norris ' spirit was change , however , when Aversano and her family donate the side of her chum — Joshua . In an over-the-top and extremely complex 36 - hr full face graft , operating surgeon were able to replace his jaws , dentition , tongue , skin and underlying tissue paper , from scalp to neck .
“ I am now able to walk preceding people and no one even pay me a second facial expression . My champion have move on with their life story , starting families and careers . I can now bulge working on the new life given back to me , " Norris read .
mental image credit : University of Maryland Medical Center .
During the aroused encounter , Aversano need to relate Norris ’ case and takes a step back , say : “ Wow , this is the face I grow up with . ” Joshua ’s mommy , Gwen , said that donating his typeface was the right thing to do and that she can see her son ’s face in him .
“ Some of the facial features would in spades be our Word , so we could see similarity , very much so . We are just so proud of we have been able to avail him . Even though we had such a tragic red ink , we were able-bodied to give someone else the welfare of our son , ” she secernate Canada’sCTV News web .
While the surgical procedure has restored some hotshot in his face and allowed him to smile and show expression , he ’s ineffectual to drink , smoke or get sunburned . Norris still has a lot of be - up date with doctors and a healer , and has to take a cocktail of anti - rejection drugs to ensure he ’s mend decent .
you could watch the amazing encounter below .
