Man, 21, Gets New Face from Dead Man, 48, after Face Transplant Surgery — He Lost His Friends but Found Love

• A 21-year-old man named Joe DiMeo had to get a face and double hand transplant after a horrific car accident.
• Joe DiMeo acquired the face of a dead 48-year-old man.
• Despite being abandoned by who he thought were his friends, he managed to find love three years later.

A tragic and nearly fatal 2018 car accident resulted in a then-21-year-old undergoing a successful face and double hand transplant. One night while driving home from working the night shift at a Hillside food testing laboratory, an extremely tired Joe DiMeo fell asleep at the wheel.

Upon shutting his eyes, the Dodge Challenger he was driving swerved off the road and hit a curb. When the car made contact with the curb, the impact caused it to flip over a few times before catching fire.

Eighty percent of DiMeo's being was tragically burned, rendering him having to get his eyelids stitched up and all his fingers amputated. When describing how his vision was affected, the young man expressed the experience as feeling as though he was looking through a chain link fence.

DiMeo recalled how much he longed to get the transplant done when his doctor suggested the procedure. He emphatically stated that his reasoning for his desire to get the surgery done as quickly as possible stemmed from the fact that he was tired of struggling to live the way he was before it took place.

As he eagerly anticipated the surgery, DiMeo stated that he didn't even mind which gender the medical personnel could acquire a face from. He admitted:

"I even said I wanted a guy or girl just to make the process faster, and [I] told my doctor I'd prefer a girl's face just so I wouldn't have to shave all the time."

It took 140 surgeons, nurses, and additional medical support staff to undertake the first-of-its-kind successful surgery. The operation took place in New York City at NYU Langone Health Centre.

The transplant, which happened in August 2020, had only been attempted twice in the past. DiMeo's donor was a deceased 48-year-old man from Delaware, who had passed away two days before the surgery.

A Couple of Years Following His Transplant, Joe DiMeo Was Able to Find Love

Recently, DiMeo, now 24, opened up about finding love with his girlfriend, Jessica Koby, 32. Upon discovering and reading about his story, Koby sent a direct message to DiMeo on Instagram. DiMeo, who expressed being unphased about receiving the face of a man twice his age and being ready to start his life, disclosed how he was initially not looking for love:

"But I was always confident it would happen eventually because I am the same on the inside. Nothing has changed besides my skin."

As it turns out, Koby shared DiMeo's perspective and sentiment. She revealed:

"I love Joe inside and out because he is a funny guy, he knew what he wanted in life and was very mature for his age."

The pair's relationship started from their shared affinity for Boston Terrier dogs, and they have two adorable pups named Kirkland, and Buster, who they adore.

Koby, a nurse, explained how their relationship started as long-distance, as she was living in southern California before moving to be with DiMeo. She expressed falling for his intellect and finding him attractive when they first met.

Joe DiMeo Opens up about His Donor, Fake Friends, and His Sense of Optimism

The only information that DiMeo knows about his donor is the donor's gender, age, native city, and when he died. He said this was the only information his doctors would share with him. Additionally, the 24-year-old disclosed that he has not had any contact with his donor's family or friends.

DiMeo was unable to move for many weeks following his surgery. However, after some time, he slowly began regaining muscle memory. When discussing how his family and friends reacted to his new transition, he stated that while some were immensely happy for him, others were not so pleased.

He revealed having lost some fake friends, and though he felt sad at first, he realized that through losing them, he quickly became aware of who his real friends were and started to appreciate them more.

Despite getting looks from other people in public, which DiMeo takes in his stride, the young man has made amazing feats since his surgery. He takes 15 pills each day to avoid his body rejecting the transplant and can now get out of bed himself and drive again due to extensive therapy.

He also expressed being joyful for slowly regaining his sense of independence again. Additionally, he can clean, do his laundry and cook. The brave man's girlfriend asserted her love for his gentle, kind, and courageous spirit.

The love he found helped him overcome the most formidable challenge of his life. DiMeo continues to retain his positive outlook on life despite the immense tragedy he went through, and his doting girlfriend remains at his side.

If you enjoyed this story, check out another story in which Hollywood actress Katherine Heigl encouraged people to register to become organ donors to help save lives.