In 2001, volunteer firefighter and father of five Patrick Hardison rushed into a burning house to save a woman he thought was trapped. The roof collapsed on him. He barely made it out alive—but his face was almost completely destroyed by flames.

Patrick suffered third-degree burns over his entire face, scalp, and upper body. His nose, lips, ears, and eyelids were gone. For years, he hid behind sunglasses, a baseball cap, and prosthetic ears. Children would scream and run away. Life felt unbearable.

After enduring 70+ surgeries, Patrick still couldn’t blink or eat properly. He lost hope of ever living a normal life—until 2015, when he became the first American to receive a full face transplant.

The 26-hour surgery, led by Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez at NYU Langone, involved over 100 medical professionals and carried a 50/50 chance of survival. The donor was 26-year-old David Rodebaugh, a cyclist who died after an accident. His mother, Nancy Millar, chose to donate David’s face, saying, “He had the face of a porcelain doll.”

The results were extraordinary. Patrick could blink, smile, and go out in public again without hiding. When he finally met Nancy, she asked if she could kiss his forehead—something she used to do for David every night. “It was like meeting family,” Patrick said.

Though he’ll take anti-rejection meds for life, Patrick says he’s grateful every single day. “They gave me more than a face—they gave me my life back,” he said.

Now, he’s focused on giving others hope. “You don’t have to live in the shadows,” he says. “You can overcome anything.”