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Joe DiMeo, who received the world’s first face and double-hand transplant, has found love with Jessica PerezCredit: Jam Press\/Jessica Perez 11<\/p>\n Joe before his accident in 2018Credit: SWNS 11<\/p>\n Joe before his transplant in 2020, left, didn’t have eyelids, lips or fingers<\/p>\n Joe, from New Jersey<\/a>, said he was \u201cgrateful to be given a second chance\u201d – and it wasn\u2019t long after the transplant that he met the love of his life<\/a>, Jessica DiMeo.<\/p>\n Jessica, 34, a nurse from Ohio, admits that, like most people, she had a strict checklist when dating but after meeting Joe in 2021, none of that mattered anymore.<\/p>\n She tells Sun Health<\/a>: \u201cBefore I met [Joe], I had a list of things I wanted in a partner \u2013 from a college degree to physical characteristics.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI once went off a guy because I didn\u2019t like his shoes!<\/p>\n \u201cI love Joe for who he is.\u00a0With Joe, I\u2019ve realised that when you really love someone, nothing like that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n The pair got married in Hawaii<\/a> last December. But their relationship hasn’t come without its own challenges.<\/p>\n Jessica has had to deal with people questioning her motives for being with Joe. <\/p>\n “Online we\u2019ve had people criticise our relationship and question why I am with him, saying it must be for money and that I am a gold digger, which is not true and is just offensive,” she says. <\/p>\n \u201cPeople would repost our photos, claiming Joe was a millionaire and I was some sort of gold digger.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEven worse, they\u2019d accuse me of having a fetish or just straight up insult Joe\u2019s appearance.\u00a0Joe doesn\u2019t let it bother him, but I struggle not to get upset.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe DiMeo has world’s 1st successful face and double hand transplant 2 years after being burned in car crash<\/p>\n Though Joe has come a long way from where he started, he still faces challenges in his dexterity and health. The couple have to work together when it comes to basic tasks, like cooking and dressing Joe.<\/p>\n Jessica says: “He struggles with things like chopping vegetables, buttoning shirts, zipping jackets, and putting on socks. Even putting something away that\u2019s slightly out of reach can be tough. <\/p>\n “His hands still feel raw a lot of the time, and even a small cut can cause severe pain. They don\u2019t quite feel like his own yet, and the healing process is much slower than most people realize.<\/p>\n “I help him with a lot of day to day things, getting dressed, opening packages, preparing meals, and helping with anything that requires fine hand coordination or a strong grip. It\u2019s really a team effort at home.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe loves to cook but he can\u2019t really chop up vegetables safely, so I chop them up in advance and then he does the rest.\u00a0He\u2019s perfected his grandmother\u2019s tomato sauce recipe!\u201d<\/p>\n After finishing her degree in 2012, Jessica worked on a transplant unit, salvaging organs from donors who\u2019d passed away.\u00a0But, finding it “depressing”, she transferred to working with transplant recipients – much like Joe – in 2021.<\/p>\n A few months into her placement, her supervisor recommended a short documentary about a man named Joe DiMeo, the first patient in the world<\/a> to receive a face and double-hand transplant.<\/p>\n After his accident, in which the car flipped over and burst into flames, he was rescued by two passers-by.<\/p>\n By the time he reached the hospital, he had third-degree burns over 80 per cent of his body and was put into a medically-induced coma for three-and-a-half months.<\/p>\n His fingers were amputated, he had no lips or eyelids – and even after 20 reconstructive surgeries<\/a>, his injuries limited his ability to lead an independent life, according to NYU Langone hospital.<\/p>\n Here, he met Dr Eduardo Rodriguez, in March 2019.<\/p>\n Dr Rodriguez believed Joe would be the perfect candidate for a double hand and face transplant,<\/a> which had failed on the previous two – and only – attempts.<\/p>\n 11<\/p>\n Joe lost control of his car when driving home from a night shiftCredit: Jam Press\/@jessicakoby 11<\/p>\n Joe was rescued by two passers-by, but he had burns to 80 per cent of his bodyCredit: NYU LANGONE HEALTH 11<\/p>\n Joe met Dr Eduardo Rodriguez in 2019, who thought he would be the perfect candidate for a double hand and face transplantCredit: AP 11<\/p>\n Joe’s 23-hour operation was a success thanks to work of Dr Rodriguez and a team of more than 140 medical professionalsCredit: AP<\/p>\n While there had only been three successful full-face transplants.<\/p>\n He had been given a six per cent chance of finding a suitable donor. But 10 months after waiting, someone was found.<\/p>\n BUILDING A NEW LIFE<\/p>\n Jessica says: “We don\u2019t know much about the donor, only that he was a 47-year-old man from Delaware who passed away from a stroke. Joe wrote a letter to his family, but they never responded. He\u2019s found peace with that and respects their privacy. He knows they lost someone they loved deeply. <\/p>\n “The hands and face were from the same donor, which helped reduce the risk of rejection.”<\/p>\n Joe had his 23-hour surgery in August 2020, led by Dr Rodriguez with a team of more than 140 medical professionals.<\/p>\n After watching the documentary, Jessica was captivated by his story \u2013 so much so that she reached out to him on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jessica says: \u201cIt worked for him and I found myself so moved by the end of the documentary.\u00a0I was so impressed by his resilience that I followed him on Instagram.<\/p>\n \u201cSoon after, he sent me a message complimenting a photo of my dog.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt turned out that he loved Boston Terriers as much as I did, and soon we were chatting every day.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t usually like speaking on the phone, but I couldn\u2019t get enough of talking to Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n The pair lived eight hours apart, with Jessica in Ohio<\/a>, and Joe in New Jersey<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n He told me I could leave him if I wanted, which was heartbreaking to hear. There was no way I would ever leave him.<\/p>\n Jessica<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Three weeks after they started messaging, Jessica was due to visit an old friend in Philadelphia, and she suggested visiting Joe at the same time.\u00a0<\/p>\n It was October 2021 – eight months after 26-year-old Joe\u2019s life-changing transplant- that the pair finally met for the first time.<\/p>\n Jessica says: \u201cI was nervous on the way there, but when he gave me a hug I felt immediately comfortable.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe hung out in his back garden with the dogs, played pool and got Italian food.<\/p>\n \u201cSaying goodbye was hard. That sort of solidified my feelings for Joe.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe was so confident despite everything that had happened.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe told me he always thought he might end up with a nurse after his accident \u2013 and now it was coming true!\u201d<\/p>\n In 2023, Joe and Jessica bought a house together and were excited for the future.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jessica says: \u201cJoe\u2019s injuries meant that he still needed frequent medical attention and had certain limitations, but we figured out what worked for us.<\/p>\n 11<\/p>\n The pair met when Joe and Jessica started talking on Instagram. They both love Boston TerriersCredit: Instagram\/jessicakoby 11<\/p>\n Jessica says: ‘Before I met [Joe], I had a list of things I wanted in a partner \u2013 from a college degree to physical characteristics… I love Joe for who he is’Credit: SWNS 11<\/p>\n The pair are happily married and are excited about their future together, despite trolls questioning Jessica\u2019s motivesCredit: Instagram\/jessicakoby<\/p>\n Jessica loved hiking, dog-walking and trips to the beach, but Joe had to be careful about exposing the skin on his face and hands to sunlight. <\/p>\n He takes immunosuppresants – “it\u2019s something he\u2019ll likely need to be on for the rest of his life to prevent rejection,” Jessica says.<\/p>\n “His skin is extremely sensitive, and exposure to the sun can trigger complications.”<\/p>\n However, the two have found a compromise, as Jessica says: \u201cWe can\u2019t go to the beach in summer, so we go in winter instead, which is fine by me.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s much less crowded which is actually really nice.\u201d<\/p>\n Not long after they moved in together, Joe suffered an injury to his face where the graft skin had split, which didn\u2019t heal because of the immunosuppressants he was taking.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jessica says: \u201cHe was in hospital for six months.\u00a0He told me I could leave him if I wanted, which was heartbreaking to hear. There was no way I would ever leave him.\u201d<\/p>\n With the help of Jessica\u2019s nursing expertise, they were able to treat the wound without surgery.\u00a0<\/p>\n It made the couple stronger than ever, and in September 2024, Joe popped the question<\/a> in front of their favourite steakhouse.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur families live on opposite sides of the country so we decided to get married just the two of us,\u201d Jessica says. <\/p>\n![\"Joe](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/joe-dimeo-face-transplant-see-829231966.jpg\")
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