Burned firefighter undergoes unprecedented face transplant surgery

Pat Hardison, a volunteer fire captain from Senatobia, Mississippi was 27-years-old in 2001 when he was severely burned fighting a fire. The fire left him unrecognizable. Now 14-years-later, Hardison took the risk of unprecedented surgery that doctors warned he would only have a 50-50 chance of surviving, in order to receive a new face.

Below is an excerpt from the ABC Nightline article that describes thee incident that disfigured Pat Hardison. I urge you to read the entire article and watch the videos. It’s quite remarkable.

ABC Nightline:

Hardison and his fellow firefighters got the call to respond to a house fire, and when they arrived, he entered the building with three other firefighters. He doesn’t remember much of what happened next, except the ceiling collapsing around him.

“[My mask] was melting to my face,” Hardison said. “My hose [was] already melted.”

He pulled the mask off, held his breath and closed his eyes, which doctors say saved his throat and lungs from smoke inhalation damage and from losing his vision. He doesn’t remember exactly how he managed to escape the inferno but by the time he got out, he was unrecognizable.