What happened to Aaron James? Before and after face surgery details explored in wake of historic whole eye transplant success

A U.S. Army veteran named Aaron James was electrocuted in June 2021 while working as a lineman for a contracting company in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In the accident, James lost more than half his face, including a part of his cheek and nose. There was also a small hole where his mouth used to be and an empty socket with a missing left eye, according to PEOPLE.

Trigger warning: This article contains sensitive content. Readers' discretion is advised.

For nearly two years, the 46-year-old Arkansas resident lived a life of hardship. However, in May 2023, doctors at New York University (NYU) Langone Health performed the world’s first-ever successful whole eye and face transplant on Aaron James, and now five months later, the army veteran is getting his confidence renewed. In an exclusive Zoom chat with People, he said:

“For the first time since the accident, I don’t want to wear a mask. I want everybody to see me.”

The ground-breaking surgery lasted for 21 hours and kept Aaron James in the hospital for 37 days. But his surgeon, Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, told PEOPLE that he was doing “great.”

“His face is starting to move. He can start squinting. The eyelid’s still down, but you can see his muscles moving.”

Dr. Rodriguez is also hopeful that James will gradually get all major functions of his face back but is not sure whether he will ever get his eyesight back. Yet they think he will be able to live a full life.

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All you need to know about Aaron James’ accident and pioneering whole eye transplant

Arkansas native Aaron James served in the Army National Guard and was stationed in Kuwait, Egypt, and Iraq. Following his return in early 2021, he joined the job of a line worker for a construction company.

On a fateful day in June, he was helping transfer wires to a new electrical pole when he accidentally hit his face onto a live wire while holding on to a neutral wire and got electrocuted with over 7,200 volts of shock.

As per People, he instantly lost one of his thumbs, while his body got burned inside out. Initially, the doctors did not even know whether he would make it alive. In fact, he spent six weeks in the hospital and suffered numerous strokes, kidney failure, and burned gums. He was left with a semi-damaged face, with his left eye, nose, and lower part of the face missing.

Aaron's left arm was also amputated at the mid-humerous bone, and seven of his teeth were pulled out. His wife of two decades Meagan told PEOPLE:

“There were so many unknowns on what his outlook would be. They [doctors] truly did not know. They were like, ‘He’ll never eat the same, he’ll probably never talk. He could possibly not come off the ventilator.’ But I thought, ‘He’s fighting and as long as he’s fighting, I’ll be here fighting’.”

However, after a few months, Aaron James learned to walk and eat again, but felt horrified to show his face. Once a “handsome, burly, and bearded man,” he refused to see his reflection as it reminded him of the accident and half of his lost face.

“It was pretty heartbreaking. I wanted to keep my old face in my memory. I didn’t want that to be my face. I didn’t care to see it,” he told People.

But five months ago, doctors at NYU Langone did a miracle and successfully performed the world’s first eye and face transplant, giving James back his confidence in life. Donations from James’ GoFundMe page helped with his medical expenses.

Dr. Rodrigues, who was the leading transplant surgeon, told PEOPLE that the results of the procedure were “remarkably exciting". He also added that previously, 45 face transplants were conducted worldwide (he himself did four); however, this was the first time a joint whole face and whole eye transplant was done successfully.

On November 9, Dr. Rodriguez spoke during a press conference about the feat and said it was “far more promising than any of us ever expected.” So far, Aaron James has begun to move his face, optic muscles, and squint, even though his eyelids are still down. His vision is still not restored, and doctors are uncertain whether he will ever be able to see. But they know for sure that his “brain is receiving messages from the eyeball,” which is still alive.

Dr. Rodriguez also said that Aaron James was an ideal transplant candidate he met two months after his accident. He also lauded his support system and said it was because of them that the impossible became possible.

Rodriguez mentioned to PEOPLE how he laid out the risks involved with the transplant, but James, his wife, Meagan, and his teenage daughter, Allie, all agreed to take up the chance. Aaron’s one request was to get his beard back, which has also been fulfilled since the breakthrough transplant.

James told PEOPLE how his close friends and family always kept him motivated and never let him dwell on his condition. He lost 75 pounds and could only eat soup with a straw, as he couldn’t open what was left of his mouth. But his daughter encouraged him to go past the challenge and even posted “silly dances” with him on social media.

Before his transplant, whenever James used to step outside, he used to cover his face with a mask and his eye with a patch to conceal his injuries. Now, five months later, Aaron James can’t go past a mirror without looking at it. Being in awe of his new face, he even flaunted it during the interview, saying:

“I’m just blown away… I can open my mouth, I can eat, I can smell everything, I can taste everything. I couldn't have expected anything better. When I look in the mirror, it almost doesn't even look like I've had surgery. I'm still in shock.”

Aaron James’ donor was a 30-year-old man, and the organs (face and eye) were procured by the organization LiveOnNY. The same donor also saved three other lives by donating his kidneys, liver, and pancreas. James told People that he thought about his donor’s family “every single day” and “couldn’t say thank you enough” as there were “no words that can cover it.”

“There are bad things going on in this world and you can lose hope. But when something like this happens, it brings hope back. It makes you want to be a better person for them.”

Besides his full face and whole eye transplant, Aaron James also underwent other reconstructive surgeries over a period of two years, including getting a prosthetic arm.

Around 140 medical professionals were involved in his recovery process. His left eye, which was grafted during the transplant, is still blind due to vision but has functioning blood vessels and a promising-looking retina, whereas his right eye works, as per the BBC.