5 years later, face transplant recipient enjoys 'normal' life

Thursday, April 21, 2016
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (WPVI) -- One of the first people to get a face transplant is sharing insights into his life, nearly 5 years later.

Mitchell Hunter's own face was heavily burned when he came in contact with a live electric wire in a 2001 car accident.

He saved a woman by pushing the live wire away from her, but he lost his face and leg.
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Before the transplant in 2011 at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Hunter couldn't go out without getting stares.

Now, he has a job, and goes to the movies with his son without attracting attention.

Hunter says the past 15 years have been tough, but they've made him a stronger person.



"I would like to tell people just not to worry about the small things - live life," says Hunter. "Tell the people you love that you love them because you never know when that can be taken away."

He still goes back to a Boston hospital twice a year for follow-up care.

Next month, he plans to be at the Indy 500 auto race, where he just wants to blend in with the crowd.
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