Huron County Man with New Lease On Life Following Rare Face Transplant

A Harbor Beach man is one of only a few dozen people world wide over the past 19 years to have a successful face transplant.

In 2014, Derek Pfaff decided to end his life with a gun. He survived the attempt, but severely damaged his face in the process. The shot destroyed his upper and lower jaw, teeth, nose and part of his forehead. Over the next ten years, Pfaff would undergo 58 facial reconstructive surgeries, was unable to eat solid food or communicate with others effectively.

Now, thanks to surgeons at the Mayo Clinic, Pfaff can smile, blink, swallow and breathe through his nose for the first time. According to the clinic, the procedure, performed this past February, took more than 50 hours to complete with a team of more than 80 medical care providers. Organ donation organization Life Source helped work with the family of the donor and medical teams.

Pfaff, now 30, says he hopes to one day settle down and have a family. He is a strong advocate for suicide prevention.