The world’s third patient to receive a full face transplant has described the procedure as “the best decision I ever made.”
Mitch Hunter’s story dates back 20 years, when he was involved in a serious car crash that ended with the vehicle striking a 10,000-volt electrical pole. He was traveling with a friend and the friend’s girlfriend when the driver lost control. Hunter reportedly pushed the female passenger out of danger, but remained inside the vehicle as electricity passed through his body for around five minutes.
He survived, but with catastrophic injuries. After spending two months in hospital, he underwent dozens of procedures, including 67 reconstructive surgeries and 20 skin grafts. Severe burns also led to the amputation of part of his right leg.
A decade later, he became only the third person in the world to undergo a full face transplant, receiving a donor face from a recently deceased man.
Hunter has said he chose the operation partly out of concern for his children, not wanting them to face bullying because of his appearance. He has said he has no regrets about the decision.
He recalls having little memory of the crash itself, only briefly remembering pushing the passenger to safety before waking up weeks later in hospital. The severity of his condition became clear when he noticed the emotional reactions of his mother and stepmother, who were normally on bad terms.
In the early days after waking, no one would let him see a mirror. Eventually, an ex-girlfriend brought one and helped him look at himself for the first time since the accident. He has described the moment as surreal and difficult to process, saying he felt unrecognizable.
Fortunately, the woman he pushed to safety only suffered minor injuries, while his own were life-changing and permanent.
As he recovered, Hunter and his partner tried to rebuild their lives, but after learning they were expecting a child, he became increasingly concerned about how his appearance might affect his family. He sought more advanced surgical options, saying public reactions to his face were deeply distressing.
Following the transplant, it took months for swelling to subside and for his new features to fully settle. The donor’s beard growth also allowed him to grow facial hair for the first time.
He now takes lifelong medication to prevent rejection of the transplant, but says he is at peace with his “new” face and has since become a father of three.
