The Value Of A New Face

When I was a kid, they performed the first human heart transplant.  People were amazed, and it was a story and topic for discussion for days.

Now, of course, heart transplants happen with boring regularity, and we cease to be astonished by the advances in the medical sciences.  Whether it is non-invasive surgeries that allow athletes to bounce back within days from procedures that use to require months of recuperation, or drug therapies that can control formerly deadly diseases, or the implantation of devices to regulate heartbeats and stimulate nerve activity, medical miracles have become commonplace.

In my view, we should retain a bit of our awe at what doctors can do.  Consider this heartwarming story of a man who became a recluse for 15 years after his face was horribly disfigured in a gun accident that tore away his lips and nose.  In marathon surgery doctors replaced his jaw, teeth, and tongue and made him look like a normal human being.  He can now brush his teeth and shave and has regained his sense of smell.  More importantly, I imagine, he’s got his life back, and will no longer be too embarrassed to venture outside into the world like everyone else.

Amazing!  Just amazing, and wonderful for this poor man and everyone else who has suffered disfiguring injury.