Charla Nash, before the attack

Who could forget Charla Nash, the woman who was brutally mauled by a friend's pet chimpanzee? When Charla made her first public appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2009, the world was shocked by the images of her disfigured face. She was missing her eyes, nose and lips (though she was still able to talk). The attack also left Charla without hands, which sightless people often depend upon to get around and to interact with others. Despite Charla's extremely unsettling appearance, viewers were struck by her courage and poise. "Charla is proving that it truly does not matter what you look like as long as you are beautiful inside, as she obviously is," posted one commenter after the show. "Charla's drive, determination and outlook on her future is indeed uplifting," wrote another. At the time of the interview, Charla expressed hope that she would someday qualify for facial reconstructive surgery. Last week, doctors at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston announced that Charla had received a full face transplant last month (in order to protect the privacy of the donor, they did not reveal the date of the surgery).

After the jump: The moment that left the lead surgeon almost at a loss for words


With this surgery, Charla joins a very select group. The first near-total face transplant in the United States took place three years ago at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. While doctors at Brigham and Women's have performed this type of procedure three times just this year, they're still extremely complicated and require a large team of experts. In each case, the face comes from a donor of the same gender who was a basic match with the patient in age and skin color.  

Charla's team worked on her transplant for approximately 20 hours. The team leader, Bohdan Pomahac, MD, explained that Charla now has a full palate and teeth, which will allow her to chew food (she's been limited to purees since the attack). She will also be able to breathe through a nose and will even regain her sense of smell. During the press conference in which Dr. Pomahac broke the news of the recent transplant, he became overcome with emotion when describing what he perceived to be the most significant benefits of the surgery:

As a result of this operation, Charla will now be able to enjoy a more normal social life and time with her friends and family. Last spring, Charla made the difficult decision not to attend her only daughter Briana's high school graduation because she feared her presence would take away from the day. And, uh, we know it broke her heart. [long pause] I think her new face will allow her to be present when Briana graduates from college in a few short years. It will be a great day for Charla, and for all of us.

Charla is currently in rehabilitation at the hospital. She recently agreed to tell her story as part of a documentary by NBC's Peacock Productions, which we're taking as another sign of her optimistic plans for recovery.