When Carmen Blandin Tarleton's ex-husband attacked her in 2007, she was so badly scarred and disfigured that not even her family and friends could recognize her.
Now Tarleton faces the world with a completely new appearance, following a facial transplant this month.
The 44-year-old Vermont nurse underwent surgery at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, which involved transplanting a female donor's facial skin to Tarleton's neck, nose and lips, along with facial muscles, arteries and nerves, The Associated Press reported.
"I know how truly blessed I am, and will have such a nice reflection in the mirror to remind myself what selfless really is," Tarleton wrote on her blog Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.
When Tarleton's estranged husband attacked her with a baseball bat and doused her with lye in 2007, she suffered burns on more than 80 percent of her body and was blinded.
The Thetford, Vt. woman who once worked as a transplant nurse underwent over 50 surgeries since her attack -- among them work to restore some of her vision.
This most recent surgery, lasting 15 hours, included a team of over 30 medical professionals. Bohdan Pomahac, her lead surgeon, called Tarleton's injuries among the worst he's seen in his career.
"Carmen is a fighter," the doctor said Wednesday to the Associated Press. "And fight she did."
He added that Tarleton is doing very well and keeps a positive attitude as she attempts to regain strength.
Pomahac told the Associated Press that Tarleton's appearance will not match that of the late donor's face. He was impressed when he saw his patient's new face for the first time.
"I think she looks amazing, but I'm biased," he said with a smile.
Although the donor's family wants to remain anonymous, they said that they hope the woman's spirit would live on through Tarleton and three other organ recipients, through a statement released by a regional donor bank to the Associated Press.
Below is a video report about Tarleton's face transplant:
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