Unthinkable Acts

Dr. Alford shows a computer-generated image of what Carolyn's face might look like if the surgeries are completely successful. Carolyn has been having problems smelling, so she will have a prosthetic nose to preserve appearance and function.

"The endings that allow you to smell, the nerve endings, are [currently] at about the level of the eye [on Carolyn]," Dr. Alford says. "The reason she has difficulty smelling is there's nothing to guide the air over those endings. A nose serves to guide the air through the nasal passages to make contact with the smell nerves."