Man who had world's first successful face and double hand transplant explains how he survived accident

The recipient of the world's first successful face and double hand transplant has revealed the astonishing reason why he was able to survive his initial car accident.

In 2018, Joe DiMeo was driving home after working a night shift at his job. This would the last thing the 18-year-old remembered before waking up in a hospital burns unit months later.

DiMeo had briefly fallen asleep at the wheel of his Dodge Challenger, causing the vehicle to veer off to the side, hit a curb, and burst into flames.

Two nearby people were fortunately able to save DiMeo's life by rescuing him from the flames and calling for help, but the teenager was left with third degree burns across 80 percent of his body.

Eight years on, and thanks to the world's first successful face and double hand transplant, DiMeo has now released a book looking back on his ordeal and journey since.

In a TikTok post promoting his book, 80 Percent Gone, 100 Percent Strong: Rebuilt with Resilience, DiMeo opened up on the first couple of months after waking up in hospital, revealing that his lifestyle choices before the accident proved to be critical in aiding his survival.

"I was in a coma for three and a half months in a burn unit," he explained, revealing that he'd lost about 30 pounds of muscle during that time.

DiMeo then explained that his active lifestyle and muscular frame had been crucial in aiding his survival after the crash, adding: "I was a gym rat back in the day. "That's the reason why I survived that accident, that's what the doctors say.

"Because if it wasn't for all that muscle I lost, I would have died."

After leaving the burn unit, DiMeo was transferred to rehab, where he learned how to walk again, before moving home with his parents.

In August 2020, DiMeo underwent the historic operation to receive a new face and hands, a surgery which he said gave him a 'second chance at life'.

According to the BBC, DiMeo's transplant was the first success of its kind, with one previous patient dying from complications, while the other had to have their new hands removed at a later date.

Now 27, DiMeo has rebuilt his life, marrying nurse Jessica Koby in an intimate Hawaii ceremony in December 2024 after connecting on Instagram several years prior. The couple now share a home in New Jersey together, with their pet dogs.

Speaking about the relationship in a previous interview with PEOPLE, DiMeo described Kolby as his 'life partner'.

"It sucks I got into the accident. I lost 80 percent of my skin, and I have someone else's face and hands on me," he said. "But then I also found my life partner, and if I wouldn't have had the accident, I'd probably still be a cocky 26-year-old. I would prefer not to be burned, but I like my life now, just because I have Jessica around."