Being a teenager isn’t easy. All of the hormones kick in and make your body change. Also, there is more pressure to start thinking about what you’re going to do as an adult, and kids can be extremely cruel to each other.

Katie Stubblefield was just 18-years-old and was like most other teenagers. She was a beautiful young lady, but wore her heart on her sleeve. Her mom said she’s always been a deep thinker and anxious to have a boyfriend.

But that relationship would change Katie’s life forever. One day Katie read texts on her boyfriend’s phone to another girl and it devastated her. All of a sudden, she felt completely alone in the world.

That’s when she made what she says was an impulse decision and one of the worst decisions she’ll ever make. Katie went to her brother’s house where she grabbed a gun, pointed it to her face, and pulled the trigger.

Katie’s gunshot turned out to be non-fatal, but it destroyed her face and exposed part of her brain. She was as close to death as she could be without actually dying.

The doctors told Katie’s family that she’d never walk again, talk again, or function as a normal human. She’d live the rest of her life as a vegetable in a facility for disabled people.

Still, Katie’s family wasn’t ready to let go. Remarkably, Katie recovered, but she didn’t have a face. That’s when she got the news that she could have a face transplant and have a second chance at life.

Although Katie says she was sad because she knew someone else would have to die to give her this opportunity, she is happy to have had the chance to get a bit of her life back.

After a 31 hour surgery, Katie finally had a face again. Although she doesn’t look the way she used to, she says she hopes to be able to go to college, meet someone, and have a family of her own someday.

Check out the video below to learn more about Katie’s story and be sure to share this remarkable story with your family and friends.