In 2007 her former husband assaulted her using a bottle containing lye.
This left her face altered beyond recognition.
It also caused burns covering eighty-five percent of her body.
In the years that followed she dealt with ongoing discomfort.
The discomfort was particularly noticeable around her neck and face.
The skin grafts continued to tighten over time.
On Valentine’s Day six years ago the former transplant nurse learned of the opportunity she had awaited for a long time.
A donor had come forward with a complete face and neck.
Following an intricate operation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston her body started to reject the new tissue.
Physicians worked hard to halt the rejection process.
With limited time remaining they administered a modest amount of an anti-rejection drug.
They used this as a last measure.
The medication succeeded.
The rejection ceased.
Tarleton began to recover.
For the first time in a long while she could experience daily life largely without persistent discomfort.
Some occasional difficulties persisted.
At age fifty-one Tarleton has dedicated the past six years to reconstructing the existence she once worried might be gone forever.
She has shared a kiss with her partner once more.
She has enjoyed being actively involved as a grandmother.
She has authored a book.
She has guided an organ donation float during the Rose Parade.
She has given presentations about resilience.
She has mastered playing the banjo as well.
Medical issues have arisen during this period as well.
Tarleton went through multiple instances of rejection.
Each one was handled successfully.
She lost her sight last November.
The loss stemmed mainly from harm caused by the initial assault.
Transplanted organs such as Tarleton’s face and neck carry an expected duration of a limited number of years.
She had prepared for ten to twelve years.
At the start of August she suddenly noticed a form of pain unlike any she had known previously.
Her face became swollen.
It developed blisters.
Physicians found that the deeper blood vessels feeding her face had stopped moving blood effectively.
The tissue began to break down due to insufficient circulation.
Tarleton described that her lips no longer come together properly.
She has lost some of the hair and eyebrows that came with the transplant.
Part of her left nostril has disappeared.
She has retained the hope that first motivated her to seek a face transplant.
They anticipated the transplant would endure for ten to twelve years.
She reached seven years.
That length of time counts as impressive.
It marks one stage within the larger sequence of events.
She holds onto a positive perspective at all times.
When she considers all the knowledge gained and the unfamiliar obstacles encountered with her case she reflects that the situation has turned out reasonably well.
Tarleton wants to preserve her present face for as long as feasible.
She wants to keep it at minimum until a new donor appears.
That remains her goal unless a severe problem develops.
In such a situation physicians might need to apply skin grafts once more.
She enrolled in this path knowingly.
She does not fixate on potential outcomes.
She holds no regrets.
She understands the importance of directing attention toward progress ahead.
The past year has presented challenges.
She has encountered periods of discouragement.
At times the discomfort contributes to those feelings.
Overall she remains in good health.
She shared this with a laugh.
More than forty individuals around the world have undergone face transplants.
Approximately fifteen of those procedures took place in the United States.
According to a statement provided by the hospital to CNN physicians continue to assess the following actions for Tarleton.
They do so with the expectation that the wounds will close.
One additional option involves reviewing her situation for another face transplant.
Dr. Brian Gastman works as a plastic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic.
He has participated in three face transplant procedures.
He explained to CNN that since this medical area remains relatively new there exists no assurance regarding the duration a transplanted face will survive.
One of his patients named Connie Culp continues to have the face she received eleven years earlier.
Gastman pointed out that upcoming improvements in therapies that suppress the immune system could alter the prospects for individuals who receive transplants.
Every two weeks Tarleton makes the trip by herself to Boston for her appointments at the hospital.
She describes herself as the most optimistic individual.
She maintains this outlook during difficult periods.
She added that she still has numerous tasks ahead.
She wants to learn how to play the guitar.
She has grandchildren.
She wants to remain present.
She is not prepared to stop trying.
