Featured Image Credit: 60 Minutes Australia
Topics: News, Health, World News
Gerrard Kaonga
In what can only be described as a modern medical miracle, a woman was able to meet the man who received a face transplant from her deceased brother.
Joshua Aversano was hit and killed in a car accident back in 2012 and his family, had to make a difficult decision following his death - whether to donate his face to save the life of another man.
Richard Norris had his face severely disfigured in a gun accident, and a face transplant was set to change his life in a massive way.
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Speaking about the move to green light the surgery, Joshua's sister, Rebekah, admitted they 'couldn’t not do it'.
She said: "Having it in their hands to give life to you, we couldn't just not do it, we couldn't just keep it to ourselves."
The extensive 36-hour surgery, in which Joshua's face was removed 'starting from just past his hairline', saw his forehead, eyebrows, nose bone structure - including the jaw all the way down to below his collarbone - peeled off in one piece and attached to Richard.
Following the procedure Joshua and Richard's senses and nervous system have 'fused into one'. Richard 'can now smell with Joshua's nose' and taste with his tongue.
Three years after the surgery, Rebekah and Richard met up and it proved to be a heartfelt and warming moment.
After slowly stroking his face, Rebekah said: “You have my brother’s face, it is hard to see where my brother ends and you begin.”
Richard also expressed his genuine gratitude for the family agreeing to the procedure.
He said: "There's just no words to describe how thankful and how grateful i am to their family.
"It's all I've ever wanted to be is just a regular person.”
Rebekah was also moved to tears as she admitted she wasn’t sure whether Richard would ever want to meet her as transplant recipients don't usually connect with the families of their donors.
"That is the skin of my brother," she said, unable to tear her eyes away.
Rebekah continued: "Seeing your lips even, your nose your eyebrows - this is the face that I grew up with.
"He's gone, but in a way he's still here. I do see Josh, I definitely do."
She also claimed that in the moment she felt closer to her deceased brother.