Every day could be the last for face transplant recipient Richard Norris - but he is determined to make the most of his second chance.

The US man received a donor face from the family of Joshua Aversano, who died in 2012 after being struck while crossing a road.

On 60 Minutes tonight, Mr Norris met for the first time with Mr Aversano's sister Rebekah to show her the gift her brother had given him.

It has not been an easy road forward for Mr Norris, who faces a constant risk his body will reject the transplant.

Joshua Aversano, left, and Richard Norris today. (Source: AAP)

"Every day I wake up with that fear: Is this the day? The day I'm going to go into a state of rejection that is going to be so bad that the doctors can't change it?" he said.

However, he is determined to push forward with his new lease on life.

He praised the Aversano family's incredible generosity.

Mr Norris was grievously wounded in 1997 when, aged just 22, he accidentally blew off half of his face with a shotgun.

The accident left him with no teeth, no nose or sense of smell, and only part of his tongue.

Mr Norris' face became the subject of cruel taunts, and he began only venturing outdoors at night and behind a mask and hat.

He underwent more than 30 reconstructive operations but the long and painful process did little to restore his disfigured features, leaving him depressed and at times suicidal.

Richard Norris before and after his accident. (Source: AAP/University of Maryland Medical Centre)