In July 2018, Joe DiMeo was driving home from a night shift when he fell asleep at the wheel of his Dodge Challenger.
The crash that followed left the then-18-year-old with third-degree burns covering over 80 percent of his body, amputated fingertips, and severe facial scarring. He would spend the next three months in a coma, enduring what he described as a relentless cycle of pain and confusion.
“When they take you into the tank room — where they wash you off, take off all the bandages — that’s not fun. You can feel the pain. So you’re dreaming about pain,” Joe recalled to PEOPLE in a new interview, describing the early stages of burn treatment as “torture.”
The “Afterlife” Memory That Stuck With Him
During those months unconscious, people often asked Joe if he experienced the afterlife. He shared the one moment that felt like it.
“The only thing I experienced is me walking my dog. He passed away in 2012, 2013,” Joe said. “I was like, ‘Oh, this is it. I’m assuming this is the afterlife, just me walking my dog down an endless hill.’”
That memory stayed with Joe as he faced a recovery journey that would redefine his life.
A Historic Transplant That Changed Everything
By March 2019, Joe met with Dr. Eduardo D. Rodriguez at NYU Langone, who believed Joe was an excellent candidate for a face and double hand transplant. It was a highly risky procedure that had only been attempted twice before, both unsuccessfully.
“The first one passed away on the table, and the second one the hands failed,” Joe explained.
Despite having only a six percent chance of finding a compatible donor due to his highly sensitized immune system, a match was found within ten months: a 47-year-old donor who would give Joe both a new face and new hands.
On August 12, 2020, a team of over 140 surgeons, nurses, and specialists led by Dr. Rodriguez performed the 23-hour surgery, marking the world’s first successful face and double hand transplant.
“It’s not a perfect surgery, and I was making it a perfect surgery in the beginning. But then I realized, you know what, let me be real,” Joe said.
After nearly 14 weeks of recovery, intensive therapy, and a carefully managed immunosuppression regimen, Joe began returning to his daily routines, including lifting weights, feeding and dressing himself, and even playing golf.
“I am very grateful to be given a second chance,” Joe said.
Finding Love After Tragedy
Joe’s journey brought him to a new chapter he never expected.
While he wishes the accident had never happened, it led him to meeting his now-wife, Jessica. She first reached out to him on Instagram after seeing a documentary about his transplant while she was training to be a nurse.
Jessica recalled to PEOPLE: “I remember looking at the picture of him, before and after, and thinking, ‘Dang, that sucks. He was a handsome guy.’ But that’s all I thought.”
Their connection grew, and in December 2024, Joe and Jessica eloped in Hawaii.
“It sucks I got into the accident. I lost 80 percent of my skin, and I have someone else’s face and hands on me,” Joe said candidly. “But then I also found my life partner, and if I wouldn’t have had the accident, I’d probably still be a cocky 26-year-old. I would prefer not to be burned, but I like my life now, just because I have Jessica around.”
What an incredible attitude to have while facing such adversity. And congratulations to the happy couple!