Carmen Tarleton has faced several challenges throughout her life. In 2007, her estranged spouse assaulted her with a bottle of lye, leaving her face unrecognizable and scorching 85% of her body. She suffered for years, particularly in her neck and face, as the skin grafts became tighter and tighter
On Valentine’s Day, six years ago, the former transplant nurse received the news she had been hoping for: a whole neck and face from a donor were available. However, following a difficult surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, her body started to reject the face. Doctors had a hard time figuring out how to stop it. With time running short, they gave her a little dose of an anti-rejection medicine as a last-ditch effort. The infection had ceased, and Tarleton was beginning to get well.
She enjoyed a life that was mainly devoid of suffering, although there were some issues.
Tarleton, who is now 51 years old, has achieved her goal of kissing her partner over the course of the last six years. She became a hands-on grandmother, authored a book, headed an organ donation float in the Rose Parade, and gave lectures on resilience. She even learned how to play the banjo.
However, there have been some medical setbacks. Tarleton had many instances of rejection, all of which were treated successfully. She lost her vision last November, mostly due to the first assault.
Like most transplanted organs, Tarleton’s face and neck were expected to have a limited lifetime. She anticipated that her face would survive about 10 to 12 years. However, around the start of August, Tarleton experienced a pain that was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Her face was swollen and covered with blisters.
The physicians found that the deep blood arteries that provide blood to Tarleton’s face were not circulating blood adequately anymore. The tissue was dying because of the limited blood supply. According to Tarleton, her lips no longer come together, she has lost some of her transplanted hair and eyebrows, and she has lost part of her left nostril.
However, she has never lost the hope that brought her to the face transplant in the first place.
“They were expecting it to take 10 to 12 years, but I did it in seven, which is really impressive.” Tarleton spoke to CNN over the phone from her boyfriend’s house in Vermont. “It is only a step in the process. I always have a positive outlook on life. When I think back on all they have learnt and the unknown challenges they have faced with me… I just paused and added, “This is really quite good.”
Tarleton said that she wants to be able to maintain her present face, or at the very least, keep it until a new one can be found. “That’s what I’m hoping for, unless something terrible happens.”
In such situation, they may have to use grafts again.
“I signed up for this, and I don’t think about the consequences. I have no regrets.” I understand that I need to concentrate on making progress. I have had a difficult year, and I have experienced some low points. Sometimes, pain is what causes me to feel that way. Tarleton stated in a loud voice, with a giggle at the conclusion, “But overall, I’m healthy.”More than 40 individuals throughout the globe have had face transplants, with around 15 of those procedures taking place in the United States. According to a statement from the hospital to CNN, physicians are still figuring out what to do next for Tarleton, “with hope that the wounds will heal.” Other possibilities include… maybe being reassessed for a second face transplant.
Dr. Brian Gastman, a plastic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic who has participated in three face transplants, told CNN that since it’s a relatively young area, “there’s no guarantee on how long a face will last.” Connie Culp, one of his patients, is still wearing the face she received from a transplant eleven years ago.
Gastman said that in the future, advancements in immune-suppression medications would alter the way transplants are performed.
Every two weeks, Tarleton makes the trip to the hospital in Boston by himself.
“I am the most optimistic person, even though it is hard.” There is still a lot for me to do. I want to learn how to play the guitar since I have grandkids. I want to be present. “I am not prepared to redeem it.”
