Local is one of 40 facial transplants done so far around the world
Astory Friday about a local man receiving historic face transplant surgery piqued a lot of people’s interest. Here are a few more factoids:
– The first face transplant was performed in December 2005 in France; as of this year, 40 face transplants have been performed worldwide.
– A grant from the Department of Defense for Yuba City native Cameron Underwood’s transplant was entitled “Utilizing Vascularized Bone to Improve Outcomes of Face Transplantation.”
– The Department of Defense has provided similar grants to other hospitals, totaling over $6 million, for face transplants for U.S. military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as to further research.
– For more information about Underwood’s transplant, this link walks you through his journey: https://www. youtube.com/watch?time– continue=69&v=3xf-tttkxxa.
PARADISE – Toward the end of a recent news conference held to update the public on the recovery effort in Paradise, a man rose from the audience with a question.
He understood that making the burn area safe for people to return to would be difficult. Especially with the nearconstant threat of debris flows. But when could he go back?
“Two months? Three months? Six months? I have to know what to do,” he said, his voice quavering with emotion. “Where do I go from here?”
Across Butte County, about 50,000 people have been displaced from Paradise and the nearby towns of Concow and Magalia. Some of them barely escaped and have been so shaken by the wildfire that they’ve said they have no intention of returning.
Others are content to set their lives by law enforcement’s timetable – authorities have said that eastern and southern portions of Paradise might be opened to residents early next week if the weather allows. Parts of Concow, Old Magalia and Yankee Hill could follow later in the week. After an initial 24-hour period for residents, those areas would then be open to the public.
Authorities are also hearing from a third group: evacuees who are
Yuba-sutter residents turned out in droves the last few weeks to help those impacted by the wildfire that tore through several communities in Butte County. They helped by donating items and money and volunteering for all sorts of jobs. The willingness to help was so great that it almost overwhelmed officials at times.
“Our community was pretty much on the outside of the emergency this time. The Yuba-sutter community came together every bit as strong, and the desire to help Camp Fire victims was evident,” said Russ Brown, public information officer for Yuba County. “They really helped prop up the people who were displaced and let them know our community cared.”
Thousands of Butte County residents are still without permanent shelter and have lost their personal belongings. While those survivors begin Yuba County spokesman