Midway point

Go here for the amazing, tragic, but hopeful story of 46-year-old Connie Culp, the first patient to receive a facial transplant in the United States, and the fourth in the world (and up to now, the most extensive). 

Ms Culp's husband shot her in the face with a shotgun, shattering her nose, cheeks, the roof of her mouth, and an eye. 

From the photos you can see that her current state now is a vast improvement over her prior condition, but doctors say there's still a long way to go. For Ms Culp, though, even her state right now is a blessing.