Richard Lee Norris' face was shattered by a gun shot, causing him to hide his face for 15 years. He wore a mask and shopped late at night to avoid stares from children and adults. However in 2012 Norris received a landmark face transplant. The 36-hour-surgery at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland incorporated facial tissue from the hairline to the base of the neck as well as the upper and lower jaws, the teeth and also a portion of the tongue. A team of 150 managed to transplant all the bones and tissue, connecting up nerves and blood vessels. The procedure broke new ground for researchers who hope to heal soldiers disfigured by war.
