A New York painter with a severely deformed nose believes "God sent an angel" to look after him after he was gifted a new schnozz by a plastic surgeon whose house he was working on.
Conrado Estrada has a severe case of rhinophyma, a rare inflammatory skin disease that mostly affects men.
There is no effective treatment for the disease with surgery the only option.
"I had spent six years seeing doctors and skin specialists and nothing would get better," Estrada told the New York Post.
The 57-year-old's nose had grown so bulbous that he had trouble eating and breathing.
He said his condition meant he would get stared at on the street.
"Children would ask their mothers what happened to me - and I would get around it by using a face mask all the time."
But his luck changed when he got a job working on plastic surgeon Dr Thomas Romo's house.
Romo told The Post that Estrada's "proboscis" appeared as if he had "a penis on his nose".
"I saw this gentleman landscaping in my backyard when I noticed his severe case of rhinophyma. I introduced myself and offered to correct his facial deformity, to which he happily accepted," Dr Romo wrote on Facebook.
"It was a smoldering infection... and it would have just kept going," Dr Romo told the Post.
Dr Romo says when he told Estrada he would help him, he gave him a big hug. Days later, he was in an operating room.
"I re-shaped his nose, and applied sterile bandages. He was so thrilled and thankful! There is no better satisfaction than being able to use my specialty and skill to improve another person's quality of life," Dr Romo wrote online.
The doctor said Estrada looks like he's won an Olympic medal since getting the surgery.
"Chest is out, face's out, he's a smiley guy. I feel great for him!"
Estrada said he believed God sent an angel to take care of him.
"That's how I see Dr Romo."
