The first man to undergo a face and double hand transplant has recently made a massive announcement.
In August 2020, Joe DiMeo underwent a revolutionary medical procedure that saw him become the world's first person to successfully receive a face and double hand transplant after suffering from a terrible accident two years prior.
The then 20-year-old was involved in a car accident after he fell asleep at the wheel of his Dodge Challenger while returning home from a night shift. The vehicle ended up hitting a curb before catching fire.
If it wasn't for the two people who stopped and dragged DiMeo out of the car, he may have not lived to tell his incredible story.
He was rushed to the hospital where it was confirmed that he had suffered third-degree burns to over 80 percent of his body.
Doctors placed him in an induced coma before he was forced to have his fingertips amputated and undergo more than 20 reconstructive surgeries.
Then in 2020, he was given the chance to make medical history by becoming the first person to undergo a face and double hand transplant and despite only having a six percent chance of it being successful, he agreed.
The surgery lasted a whopping 23 hours and took place at NYU Langone in New York City. In the end, it was a huge success.
"We wanted to give him not only an operation that made him look better, but it ultimately had to work ideally, especially with the hands," explained Eduardo Rodriguez, director of the Face Transplant Program at NYU.
DiMeo then spent a further 45 days in intensive care and then another two months in the hospital, where he had to learn how to open his new eyelids and his new hands.
Rodriguez said that his patient was the "most highly motivated patient" he had ever met.
"He wants to work on sports, he loves to play golf, and he wants to get back to the course. I'm always impressed by the amount of weight that he can lift and the quality of his grip strength," the expert added.
Four years on from that moment DiMeo is now thriving and has even made a massive personal announcement.
He is now engaged to his girlfriend Jessica Koby!
The pair initially met when Koby reached out to him via Instagram after hearing about his journey. They quickly started up a friendship that turned romantic and now, it seems as though they're ready for a new chapter in their love story.
Taking to Instagram, DiMeo recently shared some adorable photos of the pair with their Boston Terrier dogs alongside the caption: "Big things going down on December 5th", with emojis of a bride and groom.
Koby can also be seen wearing an engagement ring in the photo.
The 33-year-old also shared a video of the proposal on her own account, showing her fiancé getting down on one knee.
"I guess I’m the right one Joe asked and I said yes. I can’t wait @joeroydimeo," she captioned the clip.
Congratulations to the happy couple!
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