Katie Stubblefield thought she had the rest of her life ahead of her, but everything changed when, at the age of 18, her boyfriend dumped her. Tragically, the teenager shot herself, but miraculously, she lived.
The youngest face transplant patient in the US is Katie, who is 21 years old. She is also the 40th person to have undergone the procedure. The procedure took more than 30 hours, but the medical staff did an outstanding job, and the young woman has been given a second chance at life.
Nothing short of amazing describes Katie’s post-operation appearance.
In everyday life, it’s simple to complain about petty things. The bus might have been late, your morning coffee might have been a little chilly, or the television program you watched last night might not have been as great as you had hoped.
It’s acceptable to feel upset right now because everyone has different lifestyles. But even if our ideal scenario hasn’t yet come true, it’s crucial that we occasionally stop to recognize and be grateful for what we already have.
I’ve decided to remember Katie Stubblefield whenever I lack the motivation to complete a menial task, like doing the dishes or putting the trash out, or whenever I feel like complaining about the little things in life.
Katie shot herself in the face when she was 18 years old in an attempt to end her life. Despite having lost her face and needing a face transplant, she miraculously survived.
We hope you will spread the word about her motivational story by sharing it with others!
It seemed like Katie Stubblefield had it all. She was a sophomore in high school when her family moved to Owensboro, Kentucky, from Lakeland, Florida, where she had grown up. The family moved again a year later, this time to Oxford, Mississippi, where her dad started working at a small Christian school.
According to Olivia, Katie’s older sister, was “fearless” and “a lot of fun.”. She always wished to assist others and had a great sense of humor. However, Olivia noticed a change as Katie grew older.
Olivia explains, “She wanted to be the best in all of these sports that she’d never even tried before.”. She spent countless hours studying because she wanted to excel academically”.
It didn’t take Katie long to fall in love with a classmate who went to the same school where her parents worked. The two started talking about getting married right away; Katie’s sister Olivia thought their relationship was very serious.
Throughout her senior year, Katie’s life would change irrevocably. Her stomach had already undergone surgery and had experienced ongoing issues. She also lost her gallbladder because complications from the removal of her appendix a year prior required its removal.
The family’s situation was far from ideal, too. Both of Katie’s parents had lost their jobs at the school.
Katie found texts from another girl on her boyfriend’s phone on March 25, 2014, the day she turned 18. He ultimately broke up with her after she confronted him about it.
Except for the corners of her lips, Katie had lost most of her mouth, along with portions of her brow, nose, sinuses, and mouth. She was also missing the bones that made up her jaw and the front of her face. Although badly hurt, her eyes were still present.
Katie’s deformed face was being repaired even though doctors weren’t sure if she would live. On the first night of Katie’s hospital stay, medical personnel informed her family that receiving a face transplant would give her the best chance of returning to a normal life.
He declared, “This is the worst wound I’ve ever seen, and I think the only thing that will give her any kind of life again will be a face transplant,” according to the article. “Stubblefield explained. “That was the first time we had ever done it. ”.
Katie doesn’t remember the day when she lost her face. In fact, she asserts that she is completely forgetful of that entire year. She was as shocked by the idea that a face transplant was possible as were her family members.
I had no idea what a face transplant was, Katie admitted. “After my parents helped me understand everything, I was ecstatic to regain a face and function. ”.
Katie was surprised when her parents had to explain what had happened to her.
She said, “I had never thought of doing that before, so when I heard about it, I just didn’t know how to handle it.”. “I felt terrible for putting my family through this. ”.
Katie received initial care in Oxford, Mississippi, before being moved to a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. She was put on a waiting list for donors because her recovery would take a long time.
After a year, a donor was identified. When Adrea Schneider passed away at the age of 31, her family made the decision to donate her body. Katie was transferred to the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where she will have a face transplant.
According to the clinic, Katie’s treatment involved transplanting her scalp, forehead, upper and lower eyelids, eye sockets, nose, upper cheeks, upper jaw, and half of her lower jaw, higher teeth, lower teeth, partial facial nerves, muscles, and skin—basically replacing her entire face tissue.
On May 4, 2017, with the aid of virtual reality, 11 surgeons and specialists started the major procedure. Despite the fact that it took 31 hours to complete, it was a huge success.
Katie said shortly after the operation, “I’m thankful there has been a road – and Cleveland Clinic has been the vehicle to help drive me along. It’s been a difficult road to this point of recovery.”.
“I will always be appreciative of the care this hospital has given me and is still giving me as I travel the road to recovery and healing. It would be an understatement to say that my surgeons, doctors, nurses, and caregivers are top-notch. And I can’t begin to express my gratitude to my donor and her family for this wonderful gift. “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has made this possible for me. ”.
After the surgery, Katie still had a long journey ahead of her. Her parents served as her nursing staff and were available to her around-the-clock. She also had a two-and-a-half page list of daily medications.
She received occupational therapy once a week, twice-weekly personal training, and twice-weekly physical therapy. Along with speech therapy four times a week, Katie also had braille lessons twice or three times per week.
The speaking component was where Katie had the most trouble. After the transplant, all that was left of the donor’s mouth was her soft upper palate and upper lounge.
Although even they occasionally had trouble hearing her, her parents helped her by providing interpretation of what she was saying. She now had a strong, nasal voice due to her palate problems. According to Katie, she had a “frog-like” voice. ”.
Katie realized she was fortunate to be alive despite the fact that she still had a lot of mountains to climb.
Fourteen months after Katie’s face transplant, Katie’s doctors have finished three significant revision procedures. These were also intended to refine her face, lessen scarring, and accentuate her eyelids.
Katie told CNN, “I can touch my face now, and it feels amazing.”.
“You don’t realize the great need until the different parts of our faces are gone. You take the bone, tissue, muscle, and everything else for granted. Then, when you receive a transplant, you are overjoyed. ”.
Katie plans to enroll in online college in order to pursue a career in counseling and motivational speaking. That she has successfully changed her life and is now an inspiration to numerous people worldwide makes it very appropriate.
