A heart-wrenching video has emerged of one volunteer firefighter in the US who was injured when the roof of a burning house fell on him.
Patrick Hardison was disfigured in the September 2001 accident, receiving burns to his entire face, head, neck and upper torso.
Mr Hardison's face was almost unrecognisable after being burnt, so almost 14 years later he underwent a series of surgeries that led up to a final face transplant.
The 41-year-old had had more than 70 surgeries before meeting with plastic surgeon Dr Eduardo Rodriguez, and in August this year he went under the knife for 26 hours.
The procedure has been described as "the most extensive face transplant to date" in the state of New York.
The video, which was released today, shows Mr Hardison's first time seeing his new face, as well the reactions of his close friends and family members.
More than 100 people assisted during the final surgery, with Dr Rodriguez saying on his website, "[the] surgery sets new standards in facial transplantation and will serve as an amazing learning tool. We could not have helped Patrick without amazing teamwork."
Watch the video
