A woman who was mauled by a chimpanzee has shared a health update after undergoing a life-changing face transplant.
Charla Nash was attacked in 2009 by her friend Sandra Herold's pet chimpanzee, Travis, at Sandra's home in Connecticut.
The animal ripped off her nose, lips, eyelids, and hands. Though Sandra tried to stop the chimp by hitting him with a shovel and stabbing him in the back, her efforts weren't enough to prevent the horrific injuries.
Highlights
- Charla Nash underwent a full face transplant in 2011, two years after a chimpanzee attack left her severely disfigured.
- The transplant was funded by the US military, aiming to improve treatment for wounded veterans.
- Charla has regained some sensation in her face and is progressing with rehabilitation, including speech therapy and eating solid food.
Police arrived at the scene and shot the animal. Charla was rushed to the hospital, where she was left fighting for her life and severely disfigured.
Image credits: 60 Minutes Australia
In 2011, two years after the attack, Charla underwent a full face transplant at Brigham and Women's Hospital, the hospital's third-ever procedure of its kind.
In an interview with 60 Minutes Australia, the 71-year-old woman said the surgery "brought [her] life back" and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to "live a better life."
Charla reportedly lives in a nursing home, where she undergoes rehabilitation and speech therapy.
Image credits: 60 Minutes Australia
"Life's getting better. It is coming around slowly but, yeah, it's getting better. It's hard, but it's better," she said in the interview.
Charla, a former barrel racer and horse jumper, said she's starting to eat solid food again and the feeling of numbness is going down in some parts of her face.
"The nose and the upper lip I can't feel yet, but, little by little, it's coming back. I can feel my cheek and forehead, so it's getting there."
She added: “I can’t chew steak. I can chew chicken, it’s a little softer. I can chew pizza. The crust is hard, but the pizza is OK. I’m starting to get back into eating salads again. That was my favorite—salads.”
In 2009, Charla's face was ripped off by Travis, the pet chimp of her friend, Sandra Herold
Image credits: 60 Minutes Australia
Image credits: 60 Minutes Australia
As a result of the attack, Nash was left blind after she had her eyes removed due to a disease transmitted by the animal. She now has glass eyes, which were part of her facial reconstruction.
The face transplant was funded by the US military, which was interested in the operation to help wounded veterans. In return, Charla agreed to undergo medical tests every few weeks.
The woman undergoes MRIs and CT scans to analyze how well her brain is responding to the transplant. Doctors also examine how well her arteries deliver blood to her new face.
Sandra stabbed the chimp in the back to stop him but her efforts were in vain
Image credits: 60 Minutes Australia
In a 2018 interview with the Boston Herald, Charla discussed how she had always questioned her friend's decision to keep a monkey locked up in her home.
"I remember looking at him in his cage and feeling sorry for him," she said.
"My thoughts were always, 'How is she allowed this animal in her house? What if he gets loose someday and somebody gets hurt?'
"I know the animals are cute—but they're just not pets."
Image credits: 60 Minutes Australia
Sandra Herold reportedly treated Travis, the 200-pound chimpanzee, as if he were her son. She trained him to open doors, use the computer, drink wine from a glass, eat at the table, and dress himself.
A few days before the attack, the chimp tried to escape from the house by taking Sandra's car keys and trying to start different cars outside.
To ensure the animal would come back, the owner reportedly gave him an iced tea laced with Xanax, a potent tranquilizer.
Charla, who was left blind and disfigured, underwent a full face transplant at Brigham and Women's Hospital
Image credits: 60 Minutes Australia
Image credits: 60 Minutes Australia
Experts suggested that the chimp may have attacked Charla because she had a different hairstyle that day, and he may have perceived her as an intruder.
Others speculated that the medication could have negatively affected the animal, making him aggressive.
In the 2018 interview, Charla said the attack had impacted her everyday tasks, making her more patient and dependent on others.
"Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot I can do," she shared. "I've lost so much independence... I could change my own truck tire, and now I can't even feed myself."
Image credits: 60 Minutes Australia
The mother has devoted her time to working with advocates to encourage stronger laws restricting the ownership of wildlife.
While Charla's family sought permission to sue Connecticut for $150 million for failing to seize the animal, the state claims the commissioner denied this request, stating that the ownership of chimps was not prohibited at the time of the attack.
Sandra, the owner, passed away from an aneurysm in 2010.
Image credits: 60 Minutes Australia
In an interview describing the attack, Sandra said, "He looked at me like, 'Mom, what did you do?'" referring to her stabbing the animal before she called 911.
"I couldn't pull him. He was just too strong."
The transplant, which she underwent in 2011, was the hospital's third-ever procedure of its kind
Image credits: 60 Minutes Australia
Charla received $4 million in compensation from Sandra's estate, which included $3.4 million in real estate, $331,000 in cash, $140,000 in machinery and equipment, and $44,000 in vehicles.
Her greatest wish is to live in a small country house, away from the hustle and bustle, surrounded by animals and nature.
"I'm out of words to describe how much respect I have for this woman," one person wrote
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