Derek had 58 face reconstruction surgery over the course of the subsequent six years. However, despite the fact that the surgeons spent many hours trying to reconstruct his face, the result was that he was unable to recognize himself.

One of his eyes was missing, and he was unable to blink. He had difficulty speaking and breathing regularly, he had lost his sense of smell, and he required a feeding tube in order to consume nutrition. Derek expresses his gratitude by saying, “I should have died that night, so I’m thankful to be alive.”

On the other hand, after my last operation in the year 2020, the physician informed my parents that there was nothing further he could do for me other than to attempt to recommend me for a face transplant. For me, it would be a turning point in my life and the last glimmer of hope I had. Face transplant surgery, on the other hand, is very uncommon, and there are only a few of teams in the world who do it.

It was explained to Derek by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, that this would be the second face transplant they had ever carried out, and that it would also be the most complicated treatment they had ever carried out. It was informed to me that 85 percent of my face would need replacement surgeries. However, I was interested in giving it a go,” Derek recalls.