The man who received the world’s first successful face and double hand transplant has shared a beautiful photo to celebrate his engagement. Joe DiMeo, from New Jersey, has gained a huge following on social media after opening up about his life after a horrific accident. He has inspired many with his life’s journey, amassing over 219,000 followers on TikTok and over 17,000 fans on Instagram. Now, his followers are rushing to congratulate him after the news of his engagement. Joe DiMeo Joe DiMeo and his wife are receiving well-wishes after announcing their engagement. One person writes: “Congratulations to you both.” Another adds: “Sending all my best wishes.” “So excited for your new journey,” someone else says. “God bless you.”
A fourth person wrote: “I’m so happy for you, beautiful couple.” DiMeo, who has undergone several surgeries, first made headlines in 2020 when he underwent a historic face and double hand transplant. The procedure reportedly took 23 hours and required 16 surgeons working with 80 staff across six medical teams. Joe DiMeo Joe DiMeo had only a six percent chance of finding a donor compatible with his immune system. Photo: @joyroydimeo/Instagram During an appearance on Good Morning America, DiMeo said: “When I first saw my face, it didn’t move me. It didn’t feel real at first.” He also expressed gratitude to the donor, an unidentified man, and said he would like to meet his family one day. DiMeo’s transplant is so remarkable because it marks the first time a face and double hand transplant from the same donor has been successful. Isabelle Dinoire became the world’s first face transplant recipient in 2005. She died 11 years later from cancer, according to the BBC. In 2011, a woman maimed by a chimpanzee received a face and hand transplant from the same donor. Unfortunately, her body rejected the hands and they had to be removed, the BBC reports. Doctors calculated that DiMeo had only a six percent chance of finding a donor compatible with his immune system, in addition to finding someone of the same gender, skin tone and dominant hand, MailOnline reports. Dr. Eduardo
Rodriguez told Good Morning America: “The odds of us succeeding, based on our track record, seemed slim.” Joe DiMeo before and after his face transplant. Joe DiMeo underwent the world’s first successful face and double hand transplant. Photo: ABC DiMeo’s face and double hand transplant followed a devastating accident in 2018. The New Jersey man fell asleep at the wheel of his car after working a night shift. The car left the road and burst into flames – he only survived because people rushed to his rescue. The crash reportedly left DiMeo with burns to 80 per cent of his body, which led to more than 20 skin grafts and reconstructive surgeries. He told Newsweek: “I was in the hospital for four months, and about half of that time I was in a coma. Then I spent some time getting back on my feet relatively quickly, and by the fourth month I was in rehab.” DiMeo never gave up on his desire to live a normal life, despite everything he had been through. In the years since his transplant, he focused on facial movement — learning to blink, raise his eyebrows, and move his lips again. He also worked to regain as much movement in his hands as possible. And most importantly, he found love. Joe DiMeo before. Joe DiMeo before his tragic accident.
Nurse Jessica Kobe came across DiMeo’s inspiring story in 2021 and decided to reach out to him via Instagram. Kobe told Newsweek that they “hit it off right away,” adding, “I was just drawn to the way he carried himself in his interviews. He’s a very hard worker, so even though he was disfigured, he was willing to get back to work. I think his ambition was what intrigued me the most.” Unfortunately, the couple has found themselves the target of hateful comments since they began documenting their relationship on social media. While DiMeo has received harsh words about his appearance, social media users often question Kobe’s motives. The nurse told Newsweek that she is often called a “gold digger” or accused of “using” DiMeo, but she chalks it up to jealousy. But the couple isn’t letting the haters get them down and have now announced the next step in their relationship. Joe DiMeo and Jessica Coby. Joe DiMeo and Jessica Coby met through Instagram.
DiMeo posted a sweet photo of himself and Kobe in the woods with their two dogs on Instagram, captioning it, “Big things coming December 5th,” along with bride and groom emojis. The heartwarming snap quickly racked up thousands of likes and comments. The couple has since gotten married in Hawaii, sharing sweet photos of their big day. Congratulations to the happy couple!