One of the biggest medical advancements in recent years has been face transplants, which can give new lives to people who have lost their faces in major accidents.

A native of Quebec, Canada, Maurice Desjardin recently became the first person in his country to undergo a face transplant surgery.

Desjardin, 64, suffered a horrifying hunting accident seven years ago that left more than half of his face destroyed.

Since then, he has suffered excruciating pain constantly, so he was willing to undergo the risky operation if there was a chance that it would result in him getting some peace.

Over 100 medical staffers worked tirelessly on Desjardin for more than 30 hours as they rebuilt his jaws, teeth, nose, lips, and face muscles.

Before his surgery, Desjardin struggled to eat, sleep, and even breathe.

Since his surgery, however, he’s regained the ability to do all of these things easily!

Desjardin became a recluse after his accident because his issues made it so difficult for him to socialize with others.

Simply talking to anyone was physically very painful for him, but this surgery has changed that.

“As a plastic surgeon, I know that, no matter how large or small, injuries to the face have a particularly symbolic aspect and are closely linked to our identity,” explained Dr. Daniel Borsuk.

“Facial disfigurement can have a detrimental effect on self-confidence and productivity, and therefore, this transplant offered immense hope and possibility to our patient.”

“We would like to acknowledge the donor family, who showed great empathy and generosity in accepting that their loved one donate his face and his organs,” said the Managing Director of Transplant Quebec.

“The tremendous collaboration between Dr. Borsuk’s team and Transplant Quebec is one of the keys to the success of this first, which was so beneficial for the receiver.”

We’re glad that Desjardin can now live a normal life!

Find out more about this in the video below!