50/50 chance of surviving the surgery

The medical team gave Hardison a new face, scalp, ears, and ear canals. They selected portions of bone from the chin, cheeks, and the entire nose. Not only that, but Patrick also received new eyelids, returning to him the ability to blink naturally.

But the surgery was not without risk. Due of the nature of the highly complex procedure, Patrick only had a 50/50 chance of surviving.

“Everything in life has a risk,” Hardison told Time Magazine.

“When it’s your time to go, you’ll go—whether you’re walking down the street and get hit by a car or you’re lying on the operating table.”

Prior to the surgery, Patrick met his family for what could’ve been the last time.

His eldest daughter Alison wondered why her father was so desperate to go through with the procedure.

“He said, ‘I won’t have to wear a ball cap and I won’t have to wear my sunglasses. I’ll look normal whenever I get to walk you down the aisle,’” Alison recalled Patrick saying.

“And that right then pretty much sealed the deal for me.”

Fortunately, the procedure was a big success, though it was only the start of a very long journey for Patrick. During the first week following the operation, he endured late night scares involving fluctuations in blood pressure and an unstable airway.

The new face also meant that he had to learn how to speak and swallow again, and he suffered from both anxiety and had bouts of frustration because of it. He couldn’t even close his mouth because his face was so swollen.