HARTFORD, Conn. — A Connecticut woman who was mauled by an out-of-control chimpanzee says she is venturing out more after a face transplant and that her new face is getting compliments.
Charla Nash told NBC’s “Today” show that her donor face has begun molding to her underlying bone structure.
“I’ve had people tell me I’m beautiful,” Nash said in the interview that aired Monday. “And they were not telling me I was beautiful before.”
Nash said she was cheered by a simple “hello” from a child recently. “That didn’t happen before,” she said. “It was nice. The little girl was saying ‘hi’ to me. . . . I’m not scaring anybody.”
Nash was attacked in February 2009 by a neighbor’s 200-pound pet chimpanzee. The animal ripped off Nash’s nose, lips, eyelids and hands before being shot to death by police. Nash was blinded in the attack.
She underwent a face and double hand transplant in May, but the hands failed to thrive and were removed. Doctors told her she might be able to have another hand transplant in a year.
