Do you remember Richard Lee Norris? He was the guy who suffered a horrific gun accident in 1997 that ripped off his nose, chin, lips and teeth and turned him into a recluse. This past year he went under the most extensive face transplant ever and now after much recovery, his face is brand new.


Remember, this was the face transplant that would make even sci-fi movies shudder—Norris received donor skin from his scalp to his neck, along with new teeth, tongue, muscle, tissue and a jaw. It was intense. After the surgery in March, we saw a picture of the results side-by-side with his previous face. It still looked swollen. Today? He looks totally normal. Norris says:

"For the past 15 years I lived as a recluse hiding behind a surgical mask and doing most of my shopping at night when less people were around. I am now able to walk past people and no one even gives me a second look. My friends have moved on with their lives, starting families and careers. I can now start working on the new life given back to me.


Norris has spent a lot of his time since the surgery fishing and golfing and has regained his speech and can even smile and show expressions. It is truly amazing how far he has come. [NBC, Daily Mail]