In 2013, Robert Chelsea’s life changed forever after a tragic accident on the 605 freeway in Los Angeles. While waiting for help after his car overheated, Chelsea was struck by a drunk driver with three previous DUI convictions. This horrific crash caused his car to explode, leaving Chelsea with severe and lasting injuries, including a mangled face, burned lips, and a partially missing tongue. After spending six months in a coma and undergoing more than 30 surgeries to repair his wounds, Chelsea made history in 2019 at the age of 68 as the first and oldest Black patient to receive a face transplant.
Now, almost five years after the groundbreaking surgery, Chelsea is the subject of a new documentary aimed at educating people about facial transplants. As a rarity in the Black community, he hopes to encourage doctors to enter the field and shed light on the importance of organ donation. Despite grappling with the massive changes he now lives with and the fact that he sees another man’s face in the mirror, Chelsea’s faith in God remains strong. The documentary is still in the early stages, and a release date has not been revealed.
