Photos: Incredible Moment Woman Sees Dead Brother's Face on another Man's Body

Photos have emerged of the moment a woman sees - and touches - the face of her dead brother on another person for the first time following a groundbreaking transplant.

The transplant took place thanks to the family of Joshua Aversano, 21, who was tragically killed in a car accident. The family gave doctors permission to give his face to Norris, who was horribly disfigured almost 18 years ago when he accidentally blew off most of his face with a shotgun.

 It was an operation which transformed his life and the incredible meeting between his face donor's
sister Rebekah and him Richard Norris, has been filmed for 60 Minutes on Nine.

DailyMail reports the get-together was set up partly so that he could thank the Aversano family for 'saving my life'.
As they meet for the first time at his home, Rebekah asks Richard:

 'Do you mind if I touch it?'
He responds: 'No, not at all.'

She does and then steps back in amazement: 'Wow, this is the face I grew up with.'

Norris, 39, underwent one of the most complex and expensive face transplants in history, receiving teeth, a jaw and even a tongue from his donor.  The 36-hour hour operation was considered extremely controversial, as it was elective surgery, and Norris only had a 50 per cent chance of survival.

The result, however, was not only a new life for him, but a groundbreaking study for doctors learning to treat soldiers and other victims of severe facial injuries.

Norris was only 22 when his face 'exploded'. The story goes that he had arrived home after drinking and was arguing with his mother when he took a shotgun from his gun cabinet and told his mom he was going to shoot himself. But when he went to place the gun down, it went off.

Each day became a living nightmare for Norris as he faced cruelty from strangers whenever he ventured outdoors, fought addiction and contemplated suicide.  The accident left Norris with no teeth, no nose and only part of his tongue. He was still able to taste but could not smell.

The doctor who performed the operation at the Maryland Medical Centre, Dr Eduardo Rodriguez, said when Norris opted to undergo the face-transplant intense procedure, he was agreeing to take on an enormous responsibility.

He said, the face isn't an organ like a liver or a heart, which are regularly transplanted. The face is more like a hand or foot, and Richard Norris' body will always regard his new face as a foreign object, causing his immune system to constantly attack it.

He will take a cocktail of anti-rejection drugs for the rest of his life, lowering his immune system and leaving him vulnerable to many health problems. He is also not allowed to drink, smoke, get sunburned or risk injury, all of which will only worsen the rejection. A serious rejection results in death.

Norris said he is humbled by the gift he received from her late brother after Joshua was killed, struck by a minivan while crossing the street. He speaks to the Maryland family regularly and keeps them updated on his life and health.

The world's first partial face transplant was performed in France in 2005 on a woman who was mauled by her dog. Of 27 other transplants that followed, four recipients have died.