The life story of Patrick Hardison from Mississippi is nothing less than a mind-blowing one. This man is the first American who has received a face transplant back in 2015 after his face and neck were left completely disfigured during a house fire.
Patrick’s life was a great one up until the day the tragedy struck in 2001.
He worked as a volunteer firefighter earlier in his life, so when he got called to help with a house fire, he didn’t hesitate. Sadly, once he entered the burning place, it collapsed on top of him and trapped him. He couldn’t move and his torso and face were severely burnt.
“[My mask] was melting to my face,” Patrick recalled. “My hose [was] already melted.”
“For somebody who does what we do for a living, I’ve never seen anybody burned that bad that was still alive,” friend and first responder Jimmy Neal told CBS News of seeing Patrick after the accident.
Patrick suffered third degree burns on his face and scalp. He also sustained burns to his head, neck, and upper torso. The fire also claimed his ears, lips, most of his nose, and even most of his eyelid tissue.
“I didn’t actually see myself until probably November. I got injured in September,” Patrick told Fox News. “They had cut a little pinhole in one of my eyelids because they had everything covered, skin graft. I looked in the mirror and all I could do, I said, ‘this is it? I can’t do this,’” he recalled.
Over the years, this man was forced to undergo over 70 surgeries, as well as other procedures. He couldn’t close his eyes and doctors were able to put together flaps of skin to protect his vision, but he was still facing the risk of going blind.
Patrick couldn’t eat without feeling excruciating pain. He just couldn’t get used to this life because he couldn’t look at himself in the mirror. Wherever he went, everyone starred at him, and he could barely stand being around people, even his children.
In order to hide and protect himself, Patrick wore sunglasses and a baseball cap all the time. He also had ear prosthetic.
“I had kids. It was just a tough time. I never got a day off from the injury. When you walk out in public, it was daily. And, you know, it’s just so — there’s no way to explain everything,” he told Yahoo! Sports.
“You go to the ball field, you have to prepare yourself for the kid that goes running off screaming.”
Years went by and Patrick lost hope of ever having a normal life. But then, French woman named Isabelle Dinoire received a partial face transplant after her face was severely disfigured by her pet dog. This procedure was revolutionary. It was the first ever of that kind. Surely, it gave a glimpse of hope to Patrick who at that point was truly struggling.
Patrick met doctor Eduardo D. Rodriguez from the NYU Langone Medical Center in New York who told him he would do the transplant surgery if they find a matching donor. It wasn’t easy, but one day, out of the blue, a donor appeared. LiveOnNY, a nonprofit that coordinates organ donations in the New York area, had found a match. The face Patrick was about to get belonged to 26-year-old David Rodebaugh who had sustained a massive head injury in a bike accident and had been declared brain dead.
This young man’s mother, Nancy Millar, decided to donate her son’s organs, including his face. “I said, ‘You better save his face. He has the face of a porcelain doll.’ And he’s a donor — we had talked about it,” Millar told People.
The thought of someone receiving her son’s face meant that David would continue to live on through the people whose lives he was about to save, including Patrick’s.
“When I met Patrick, I saw this strength, this strong, manly, burly kind of energy in him — that David had,” Nancy recalled.
“David wanted to be a firefighter, an I knew if this guy was a firefighter — he was willing to walk into a fire to save people and risk his own life — then he had the strength that David had.”
Finally, the day of the transplant surgery had arrived. The procedure lasted for 26 long hours and was performed by a team of 100 professionals.
The risk was enormous and Patrick was given a 50/50 percent chance of survival. Luckily, it was a huge success. Patrick received a new face, scalp, ears, and ear canals. He also received eyelids which allowed him to blink naturally and save his vision.
“Everything in life has a risk,” Patrick told Time Magazine.
“When it’s your time to go, you’ll go—whether you’re walking down the street and get hit by a car or you’re lying on the operating table.”
After he recovered from the swelling and he learned how to talk and swallow again, Patrick met his donor’s mother. Nancy only had one request, to kiss Patrick on the forehead.
“I said, ‘Can I kiss your forehead?’” Nancy said. “That’s the one thing I wanted to do because every night before David went to bed when he was little, I kissed his forehead.”
“I’ve been waiting a year to meet her. I’m just very grateful,” Patrick added. “Without her, it wouldn’t have been possible. It’s like she’s family. We connected that easily.”
Ever since the surgery, Patrick is taking anti-rejection drugs that prevent his immune system from rejecting the face, but he’s thriving. He didn’t only receive a new face but a new life too.
Today, he is divorced and is working on a book which he hopes would serve as an inspiration to anyone who believes there is no way out from the situation they have found themselves in. “Because I want to show the world that you can have hope. I wouldn’t want people that were like me years ago to think that’s it, I have to live like this. You don’t. You can accomplish anything,” Patrick says.
His survival and his recovery are dubbed miraculous. Thanks to Nancy, Dr. Rodriguez and his team, and Patrick’s strong will, today, he is a happy man.
Mom In Tears After The Shelter Dog She Just Adopted Shows How Grateful He Is On The Way Home
Dogs enjoy being adopted! Mother Nature is to blame because nobody wants to live without friends or family. In the aforementioned video, the dog thanks his savior.
The adopted puppy made the decision to show his new mother how much he appreciated her while he was in the passenger seat.
His response was wonderful as he pressed his face against the woman’s arm. The mom started crying after that, and the puppy tried to comfort her.
Watch the video down below.
Please let your loved ones and friends know about this.
Heartbreaking! The dog was attacked by thousands of parasites in the mouth, unable to eat or drink for many days
It’s upsetting to read about a dog being hurt by parasites, especially when it affects their ability to eat and drink. This is a common problem in many dogs, especially if they have not had adequate preventative care.
Hundreds of parasites attacking a dog’s mouth might cause рai and discomfort. These parasites can cause inflammation and infection, making it difficult for the dog to swallow or even open his mouth. In some situations, the parasites might also cause bleeding, which can complicate matters further.
If a dog cannot eat or drink for several days, it may develop an eo problem. Dogs require regular access to food and water in order to stay healthy, and prolonged starvation or dehydration can lead to a variety of health concerns. If the dog is not treated, it will become weak and malnourished, making it more difficult to battle parasites and other ailments.
If you feel your dog has a parasite infection, you should seek veterinary care as soon as possible. A veterinarian can do a thorough examination and offer the necessary therapy to restore your dog’s health.
They may also recommend preventative care treatments, including as frequent deworming and flea and tick prevention, to keep your dog healthy in the future.
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Heartbroken over Sad shivering puppy begging passersby to save his siblings in freezing weather
People came across a puppy all day and no one cared; whenever he saw someone passing by, he stood up, wagged his tail, and waited for help; he lay on the cold snow with faith and waited.
“Help Animal kmv” stepped in to assist, and they found four puppies in a cardboard box.
They took them to the vet and warmed them up; their bodies were infested with blood-sucking mites, and they couldn’t stand the water and stress, so they weren’t bathed. Fortunately, the doctor was still present at night. The doctor gives each puppy individual first aid and tests; the puppies test positive for parvovirus, a dangerous disease.
To reduce itching and scratching, temporary preservatives are used. Puppies are more at ease. Everyone gets eye drops, as well as the doctor’s injection.
“I was very lucky to be there at the right time,” the doctor said, “because if they let them stay a little longer, they will be in danger.”
Who dumped them there? So, where had the mother dog gone?
Nobody knows the answer. They are feeling much better after three days. They could walk around the vet’s office and examine everything.
They mature quickly, beautiful boys, but the issue they had to deal with was their skin. They had mold and needed treatment, according to the doctor, and they had severe fungal skin under their hair. They needed to be medicated on a regular basis and shower with a special shower gel.
They were given the names Lira, Nils, Martin, and Gray.
The disease healed and the hair grew back over time, and thankfully, after a long time under the care of doctors, all of them are healthy and beautiful.
Two of them have found their own happy home, while the other two are cared for and loved by everyone on the team. They have a beautiful future ahead of them.
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Girl Rescues Dying Dog And Then He Let’s Her Know It’s Time To Say ‘Goodbye’
Sophiane Nacer wanted to give this homeless dog the best ‘end of days’ possible, despite the fact that he was too sick to save. She promised that Hippo, an elderly stray with tumors, would only know love after he died.
“Even if it was just for a day,” Sophiane, the 19-year-old founder of Cayleb’s Kindred Senior Dog Rescue, told TODAY, Hippo was going to have the best last day ever.
After a five-day waiting period, Sophiane adopted Hippo and brought him home from the shelter. The skin of the poor dog hurt to touch. Because Hippo was in so much pain, Sophiane wasn’t sure if he could experience much.
When she saw his tail wag, all her doubts vanished. There was still hope for the sick dog. Before he left this world, he FOUGHT to feel love and happiness.
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So Sophiane brought Hippo to Starbucks and bought him a Puppuccino, a Starbucks secret menu item that dogs adore, which is simply a cup filled with delectable whipped cream.
Hippo was still in good spirits the next day, so Sophiane brought him to a dog park to let him run around. He loved every second of it! He had something to say to Sophiane, though.The old dog, who was suffering but hopeful, had something to say to his new best friend… He was all set to leave. He was overjoyed that he had the opportunity to spend time with Sophiane, but he was tired and in pain, and it was time to say his goodbyes.
After the dog park, Sophiane had a vet euthanasia specialist come to her home. The vet had prepared a roasted chicken with sedatives inside for him. He was able to eat his final meal as comfortably as possible with Sophiane by his side before drifting off to a painless permanent sleep.
While this story is sad in many ways, it also has a positive side. A dying dog, who had only known suffering, was given the opportunity to spend the rest of his life, albeit brief, feeling loved and wanted.
May all dogs leave this world knowing how much they are loved! Hippo, rest in peace. You were a fantastic young man!
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