Connie Culp’s life was full of tragedy and hardship. When she was 16, she ran away from home with her high school boyfriend. He later tried to take her life. She stayed with him for a long time even though he hurt her, until she finally chose to stand up for herself.
Her nose, lips, the roof of her mouth, and an eye were broken when her husband shot her in the face on September 21, 2004. She made it through, but her face was badly scarred.
After more than 30 surgeries, Connie’s life changed again when doctors talked about doing a face transplant, which had not been done in the U.S. before.
It was hard to find a donor, but Anna Kasper’s family decided to let Connie have her face. Connie had surgery that took 23 hours and took a long time to heal. She was tired but able to start her life over.
Connie felt better about herself again and even started dating again. Her happiness and needs were met. Sad to say, she died in 2020 from an infection that wasn’t linked to her surgery.
Many people looked up to Connie throughout her life, and her choice to go through the scary process of a face transplant is a gift that will last forever.