A 41-year-old volunteer firefighter from Mississippi now lives with the face of a 26-year-old Brooklyn bike mechanic.
A plastic surgeon at the New York University Langone Medical Center performed the "most extensive" face transplant surgery in history, according to the hospital.
In 2001, when Patrick Hardison entered a burning home on a rescue search, the roof collapsed on him and his firefighter's mask burned onto his face, said Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, who led the team of more than 150 staff members at NYU.
Hardison held his breath and jumped out a window.
He was left with disfiguring burns across his entire face, head, neck, and upper torso. He lost his eyelids, ears, lips, and most of his nose, as well as his hair, including his eyebrows.
