Fireman speaks of his joy a year on from having the world’s most extensive face transplant
Patrick Hardison was injured 15 years ago when a burning building collapsed on him
A FORMER firefighter with the world's most extensive face transplant said he feels like "a normal guy" for the first time in 15 years.
Patrick Hardison, 42 - who suffered horrific burns after a burning building collapsed on him in 2001 - told today how the operation a year ago had transformed his life.
The dad-of-five – who had 71 reconstructive surgeries before the transplant - said he can now eat, see, hear and breathe normally, thanks to last year's surgery.
Patrick, who has been forced to deal with stares from strangers and fear from his own children, said: “Now I'm just the average guy walking down the street.
“People - they can look at me and tell something's happened, but they would never look at me and think that I’d had a face transplant."
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Patrick added: “I'm pretty much back to being a normal guy, doing normal activities.
“I get on up in the morning, take a shower and get ready to start my day
“I’m just a normal dad, and they don’t touch my face and say, ‘Oh my God.’ They don’t think anything about it.”
Speaking on the anniversary of his operation today he said: “Most kids when they touch their parents’ face, they don’t think anything about it. It’s part of me and it’s who I am.
“Kids ran screaming and crying when they saw me," he said. "There are things worse than dying.
"I thought for years that I would die the way I was after I got injured. I never thought I would be sitting here today after a face transplant.
"Before the transplant, every day I had to wake up and get myself motivated to face the world.”
Following his successful operation Patrick, 42, from Mississippi, US, has begun driving again.
He also took his family on a trip to Disney World and was able to swim in the pool for the first time in 15 years.
Dr Eduardo Rodriguez performed the transplant in August last year.
It took more than 26 hours and gave Patrick the face of David Rodebaugh, 26, who lost his life in a cycling accident this summer.
Patrick added: "Now I don't worry about people pointing and staring or kids running away crying. . I'm happy."
While there have been nearly 40 face transplant surgeries since 2005, Hardison's was the first to include a scalp and functioning eyelids.
His 21-year-old daughter, Alison, said she cried after seeing him because she was so relieved.
She said: "I walked into the room and I was just speechless.
"He gave me a hug and our cheeks touched, and his cheeks were kind of warm, and that was something I hadn't felt in 14 years."
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