Tummy tuck or breast augmentation is what most people think; for Mitchell Hunter, it was full face transplant. Only a handful of individuals in the world have ever experienced what its like to get a whole new face.
It all started in 2001 when Mitchell did the unthinkable, saved a woman from being terribly injured by a live wire following a car accident and in turn suffered the strike, losing his face and leg. Before the transplant in 2011 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Hunter couldn’t avoid awkward stares and time with his son without attracting a lot of unwanted attention.
Five years later he is speaking out for the first time. “I would like to tell people just not to worry about the small things, live life,” says Hunter. “Tell the people you love you love them because you never know when that can be taken away.”
Life is a lot different for Mitchell today and thanks to a donor and over 30 doctors, nurses and anesthesiologists, Hunter has a new lease on life, a new job and plans to attend Indy 500.