In 2001, volunteer firefighter Patrick Hardison suffered devastating third-degree burns to his face and scalp while rescuing a woman from a house fire. He endured years of pain, wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses, and prosthetic ears in public to avoid stares,

After 71 surgeries, Patrick still struggled with basic functions like blinking and eating. In 2015, he underwent the most extensive face transplant ever, a 26-hour surgery led by Dr. Eduardo D. Rodriguez at NYU Langone Medical Center. His donor, 26-year-old David Rodebaugh, had been declared brain dead after a bike accident.