Robert Chelsea, the first Black patient to receive full face transplant, shares his story in South Jersey
There is a message of hope and resilience in South Jersey from a burn survivor who had a historic surgery.
was at the Willingboro Library and shared his story of being the oldest and first Black patient to receive a full face transplant.
"My objective is to educate others," he said.
More than 60% of his body was burned after being hit by a drunk driver in 2013 in an accident in Los Angeles. The 73-year-old vividly recounts.
"He hit me, my car went up in the air, and maybe about a second or two later, boom, it just blew up," he said.
Chelsea was in a coma for six months and had more than 30 operations, and is now on a mission to encourage more organ donations, especially among Black people. He said doctors worked hard to match his skin tone.
"This is cadaver skin, by the way, my hands ... cadaver skin," he said.
The face transplant happened in 2019 when Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found a suitable donor. Chelsea is hoping to meet the family someday.
"Thank you is just not enough ... they are the heroes," he said.
Chelsea talked at the in Burlington County, the nonprofit advocates for equity, innovation and research. He talked about hope and resilience and said being alive now is like a dream come true for him, even with what he's endured.
Having lost some fingers and toes because of the burns, he still feels lucky and will be forever grateful to the donor family.
"I know what it feels like to be a burn survivor. I know what it feels like to be an amputee," he said.
