Connie Culp Face Transplant Before and After (PHOTOS and VIDEO)
Connie Culp became the first full face transplant patient in December 2008, after being shot in the face by her husband five years ago.
Connie lost the bone that supported her face, had no nose, and was unable to eat or breathe on her own.
On May 5, the 46-year-old Ohio woman addressed the world for the first time since her 23-hour surgery in which surgeons removed the skin from her face, the bone structures underneath, the nerves, facial muscles, lower eyelids, and attached the donor face.
“Well, I guess I’m the one you came to see today,” Connie said at a press conference at the Cleveland Clinic, where a team of surgeons performed the surgery five months ago. “While I know you all want to focus on me, I think it’s more important you focus on the donor family that made it so I could have this Christmas present, I guess I should say.”
Doctors are currently waiting to see how much function Culp will regain as the nerves continue to regenerate.
After shooting his wife, Thomas Culp turned the gun on himself, but survived and went to prison for seven years.
View Connie’s press conference video and before and after pictures below.
Connie Culp, left, before the injury that destroyed most of her face in 2004. Center, a CT scan shows the extent of the damage inflicted by a shotgun blast. At right, Ms. Culp after her December 2008 surgery.
Filed under: Across the Nation
A tsunami of feelings came up when I read Connie’s story. While I did not endure the horrific experience that she did (being shot in the face — GAD — I can’t even type it without shuddering violently), I *did* grow up with a rather gruesome facial birth defect on my left cheek.
I am completely sincere when I say that I cannot recall HOW many times I had wished for a face transplant! Anyone with a severe facial deformity (no matter the cause) can understand that. In “those days” (30+ years ago), however, plastic surgery was in its relative infancy — I had a total of 5 surgeries, including a skin graft — but they did a darn good job. I was/am lucky.
Connie, you are a SAINT. I say that as a woman endured many comments like you (about being called a “monster”), kids pointing fingers and staring, mouths agape, and being met with fear and/or pity. Like you, when confronted by an innocent child and/or a naive adult (a neighbor once refused to let his child come over to play at my house because he feared contagion, regardless of what my parents told him *sigh*), I wanted NOTHING MORE than to explain what happened. I believe that knowledge is power and wanted nothing more than to be treated like a “normal” human. I wholeheartedly join you on your crusade to “… to help foster acceptance of those who have suffered burns and other disfiguring injuries”!! Love you, girl.
All the best to you Connie. You have remarkable strength and courage. I hope the future holds lots of healing, health and happiness to you. Thank you for sharing your story with us, and justifying just how precious life is, and how tragedy can affect anyone at any time. Good Luck in your journey to healing.
If you hear that someone shot someone else in the head you know they meant to kill them, and this had to be premeditated, so I just do not understand how he got just seven years. He will get out, move and start over. On the other hand her life is changed forever not to mention she will have to live with possible rejection, and if that does happen the doctors will have no choice, they will have to remove all the bone and tissue.. seven years?
I am so please to know, that there are still people out there, who beleive in helping others in spite of their own sorrow. Live on Connie, God blessed you by keeping you alive, to give everyone a little hope, regardless of situation. You’re beautiful, and no one can take that from you.
Hello Connie
My name is Shannon. I am a 13 year old girl from New Zealand.
Your story has very deaply touched me and i wish you all the best for your recovery.
I am doing your life as my speech toipic.
I wish to show people how brave you are and how your story has touched many people like me.
All the best for the future.
Love Shanon
The person who did this only went to jail for 7 years?! That is ridiculous! I can’t fathom how anyone could do that to another human being… I’m glad he didn’t die, he didn’t deserve the easy excape, but 7 years?…they should have thrown away the key and let him rot in there…
7 years!? He is a worthless peice of crap. 7 years…
Any man that can premeditate this act deserves life. We have a war on women in this country and the courts and laws dont seem to want to see it. It appears that we are still so far behind times that those who create the laws and the juries and judges who implement them still believe that “well she mustve done something to deserve it”
Unfortuneately, he has caused other problems during their relationship and other threats..including this threat. Love is blind.
Connie, you are so brave and admirable! This story filled me with emotions and I almost cried. Thank you!
you are a very strong woman and you are still beautiful ,love you.
Connie,
I read your story and felt my heart breaking with every word. I have been left with some disfiguration in my neck from having chunks of cancer removed, but nothing like the emotional and physical scars you have been left with. It disturbs me that the “creature from hell” that did this to you got nothng more than 7 years. I am glad that he didn’t die from his injuries. I hope that each and every day that he looks in the mirror, that he suffers because of what he did. I think you are beautiful., strong, and worthy of so much love. My prayers are for your continued healing, inside and out. God bless you, always.