A Life Shattered, A Miracle Rebuilt — Richard Lee Norris’ Journey to “Born Again.”

In 1997, at just 22 years old, Richard Lee Norris thought he was holding a gun with no bullets. But in a tragic instant of miscalculation, the gun exploded in his face. It wasn’t an attack. It wasn’t a crime. Just a devastating accident that took away nearly his entire face.

Lips, nose, jaw, teeth — everything was gone. More than 30 surgeries over the years couldn’t restore the man he once was.

For 15 long years, Richard lived in hiding, wearing a mask, only venturing out at night, avoiding the eyes of a world that could never look at him the same way again. He existed, but didn’t truly live.

But in 2012, a new color began to emerge in his life. Richard was chosen for one of the most miraculous surgeries in history: a full face transplant. Jaw, teeth, nose, lips, muscles, skin, nerves — a chance to not just heal, but to be born again.

In just a few days, Richard’s life blossomed into moments we take for granted, yet to him, they were pure magic:
• The scent of the world around him 
• Brushing his teeth 
• Breathing through his nose 
• Speaking with clarity 
• Shaving without fear

What seems ordinary to us is extraordinary to him.

Richard’s story reminds us all: in a single second, a life can shatter, but with determination, medical miracles, and kindness, even what feels lost forever can be rebuilt.