After A Terrifying Accident, A Man Who Had The First Successful Face And Double Hand Transplant Is Back On The Road

A man who was in a car accident and got the world’s first successful face and double hand transplant is back behind the wheel.

Joseph DiMeo of New Jersey suffered horrible injuries after falling asleep behind the wheel.

During his drove home from a night shift in 2018, the 24-year-old’s automobile spun and slammed into a utility pole before erupting into flames.

DiMeo spent three months in a medically induced coma as a result of the incident, with burns covering 80 percent of his body, including his eyelids and hands, which had to be amputated.

In 2020, he endured 20 reconstructive plastic operations and spent 23 hours having a face and double hand transplant, which was successfully completed by a team of 140 surgeons, nurses, and support staff.

DiMeo says he’s back on the road five years after the event.

“I grew up watching Fast and Furious, and then Paul Walker died in a burning car crash, so it’s like, what a weird connection,” he told the Daily Star.

“I still have a strong interest in cars and drive now.”

“Whenever we go on vacation, my girlfriend chooses the location and the hotel because she is the traveler, and I always choose the car we rent.”

“So I still drive; driving isn’t a problem for me.”

“I only got to drive when I left my parents’ house because my parents don’t like it when I drive.”

“So when I moved out, we went go-karting and I thought, ‘Well, I’m ready to drive now,'” she says.

One would assume that such a horrific incident would have put DiMeo off driving forever, but this was not the case.

“When I was burned, I still wanted to drive,” DiMeo explained. I wasn’t afraid to drive at all.

“It was just that at the time, no one would let me drive.”

DiMeo is still getting physical treatment three years after his life-changing procedure to strengthen his new hands.

And one way he achieves this is by constantly creating with LEGOs.

“I’m building a Fast and Furious LEGO car set,” DiMeo explained.

“So that’s a really big task for me because the car I’m building, a 1970 Dodge Charger from Fast and Furious with the engine popping out, is a really big task for me.”

“So it’s like that car takes someone 30 minutes to an hour to build, but it takes me a week.”

After A Terrifying Accident, A Man Who Had The First Successful Face And Double Hand Transplant Is Back On The Road

A man who was in a car accident and got the world’s first successful face and double hand transplant is back behind the wheel.

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