Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
New face has given me back my smile
Transplant joy of Cameron, 26
A MAN who has had the world’s most advanced face transplant is delighted to reveal his new smile.
Cameron Underwood, 26, suffered horrific gunshot injuries in a botched suicide bid amid depression in 2016.
He lost the majority of his lower jaw, his nose, all but one of his teeth and had severe damage to his palate. But just 11 months on from his 25-hour operation, he says he no longer gets many “stares or questions from strangers”.
Cameron, a welder and machinist, said: “I am grateful to have a face transplant, it gives me a second chance at life.
“Even though I’m still recovering and gaining back sensation, I’m still very happy with the results. I hope to get back to work and some day start a family.”
Cameron, from Yuba City, California, had tried conventional reconstruction surgery several times before discovering Dr Eduardo Rodriguez at NYU Langone Health in Manhattan, New York.
The transplant relied on 3D computer planning and a 3D-printed mask of his donor’s face. It also required the reconstruction of his jaw bones, all 32 teeth, his gums, the roof of his mouth and his eyelids, cheeks, nose and nasal passage.
Donor William Fisher, 23, was an aspiring writer and filmmaker in New York. His mum Sally said: “Being part of this experience has been a source of strength during a difficult time.
“Cameron has his whole life ahead of him and I love the idea that Willie is helping him have a better life.”
The first face transplant was done in France in 2005. Since then, there have been more than 40 globally.