A man who lot half of his face in a horrific accident has had it reconstructed along with a pioneering eye transplant.

Aaron James suffered serious and life-changing injures after surviving a high-voltage electrical accident, and needed 21 hours of surgery to replace half of his face.

As part of the reconstruction, surgeons in New York also performed the world's first complete eye transplant on a man, however, it is not yet known whether he will regain his vision, according to reports from the BBC.

Experts have called it a pivotal moment in the journey to restoring sight, with successful corneal transplants having existed for several years.

James, who is from Arkansas and is a high-voltage utility line worker, lost most of his face after accidentally touching a 7,200-volt live wire in 2021.

His left eye had to be removed due to the fact it was causing him so much pain after the accident, but James can still see out of his right eye.

He underwent the rare partial face transplant surgery in May this year as well as the full eye transplant, which required over 140 healthcare professionals involved in his care. He is only the 19th person in the US to have undergone a face transplant.

James, 46, is reportedly doing well recovering from the complicated surgery and the donated eye is looking healthy according to surgeons from NYU Langone Health, who performed the operation.

Dr Eduardo Rodriguez, one of the leading surgeons on the team, told ABC News: "The mere fact that we've accomplished the first successful whole-eye transplant with a face is a tremendous feat many have long thought was not possible.

"We've made one major step forward and have paved the way for the next chapter to restore vision."

James's surgery will give doctors and unprecedented look at how the human eye attempts to heal, in the hopes that restoring vision could become a feasible possibility in future years.

Dr Rodriguez added: "We're not claiming that we are going to restore sight, but there's no doubt in my mind we are one step closer."

Doctors have said there is direct blood flow to the retina, which is the part of the eye that sends images to the brain, so while there is no guarantee James will ever see through his new eye, they are not ruling out the possibility that he - or others undergoing similar surgeries - one day might.

James is happy either way, adding: "If I can see out of it, that's great, but if it'll kick-start the next path in the medical field, then I'm all for it."

The military veteran will continue to be closely monitored by medics, but they say his progress so far has been "exceptional", after receiving the face and eye from a single male donor in his 30s.

Doctors also injected adult stem cells from the donor's bone marrow into the optic nerve to encourage its repair, and so far the healing they have seen has been good.

His wife, Meagan James, who has been married to him for 20 years, told CNN about how she felt after seeing her husband following the surgery.

She explained: "It was a crazy, great, weird, strange, ecstatic, happy feeling. I was just happy he made it through, and everything was good in the moment."

James, who has undergone many surgeries since the accident - including getting a prosthetic arm - said he is "grateful beyond words" to his donor and their family for allowing the surgery to go ahead and has deemed the eye transplant "life-changing", telling NBC News: "I just look like a normal person walking down the street."

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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!

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A 30-year-old Michigan man who survived a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face more than a decade ago has finally undergone a transformative face transplant after 65 surgeries.

Derek Pfaff was just 19 when he was found lying in a snowbank outside his Harbor Beach home on March 5, 2014, during spring break from college. The gun was beside him. He was wearing only a T-shirt and shorts.

“He had no face. There was no face, it was a gunshot wound right to his head,” Derek’s mother, Lisa Pfaff, told WXYZ Detroit. “And Jerry put him in the vehicle face down, which really was the first miracle, because if he would have put him face up in the vehicle, he would've drowned on the blood and choked to death on the two and a half miles just to get to our hospital.”

Derek, a former high school football standout, survived the attempt—but the damage was catastrophic. He lost an eye, his nose, and most of his teeth and lips. Over the next six years, he underwent 58 surgeries. Eventually, doctors told him there was nothing more they could do.

“I didn’t go out in public,” Derek said.

“People would point and, you know, call him names, and it was just so hard,” Lisa added.

Before the attempt, Derek says he kept his mental health struggles to himself, burying the pressure he felt at school.

“I kept ... my feelings and emotions inside. I didn't want to talk to anyone about it. I wish I would have now — mom, dad — whoever, got off my chest. I would have felt so much better,” he said.

That long road led Derek to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he eventually became eligible for a face transplant. In February 2024, he and his family got the call that a donor had become available.

Following a complex procedure and several additional surgeries, Derek now has a functioning face again.

He is only the second person to ever receive a face transplant at the Mayo Clinic and one of just 50 people worldwide to undergo the operation.

Lisa called the transplant “miraculous” and said Derek looked “amazing” on a GoFundMe page set up to help with medical expenses. The same page confirmed Derek had his 65th surgery on May 2.

So far, the fundraiser has brought in $285,895 of its $1 million target.

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, or text “STRENGTH” to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.

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Cameron Underwood, who attempted to take his own life by shooting himself in the face, has now undergone a face transplant.

The Yuba City, California native, had a life-changing reconstruction operation on his face back in January, and the results have only now been revealed.

The 26-year-old welder attempted to commit suicide in June of 2016. As a result of the gun shot, he lost the majority of his lower jaw, his nose, and all of his teeth except from one. He also sustained considerable damage to his palate and maxillary region.

After several attempts at more conventional surgery, which bore limited success, Cameron solicited the help of Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, who works at NYU Langone Health in New York.

The complex operation involved the work of over 100 medical professionals, who spent more than 25 hours working on Cameron.

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At a press conference held in New York today, Cameron expressed his gratitude;

"I am so grateful to have a face transplant because it gives me a second chance at life. Even though I'm still recovering and gaining back sensation and mobility, mostly with my lips, I'm still very happy with the results. I have a nose, and a mouth so I'm able to smile, to speak and eat solid foods again."

"For all of us it's really remarkable to be a part of this and make this happen," Dr. Rodriguez corroborated. "There's no way we could have ever taken him back to a normal life without a face transplant."

Cameron waited six months to find a suitable donor, who turned out to be 23-year-old aspiring writer and filmmaker, William Fisher, who died on New Year's Eve last year, following a long battle with mental illness.

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In a statement about her son's contribution to Cameron's cause, William's mother, Sally, said "My son's death was a tragedy."

"I am thankful that, in honouring his decision, we were able to give life to others, and especially that Will and Dr. Rodriguez have given Cameron and his family a chance to recapture their dreams," she continued. 

"Being a part of this experience has been a source of strength for me during a very difficult time. I don't think I would have survived Will's death if not for Cameron. Cameron has his whole life ahead of him - and I love the idea that Willie is helping him have a better life."

Cameron paid tribute to Will and the support of the Fisher family during his speech at the press conference. "I want Sally and her family to know how much my family and I appreciate their gift and I'll always honour Will's legacy," he stated.

"I'd like to say that there have been so many amazing advances in surgery. I'm living proof of that. But it only happens because of special people like Will and his family."