AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
Face transplant recipient Andy Sandness is hugged by Dr. Samir Mardini, foreground.
In June, the Mayo Clinic performed its first face transplant.
The medical feat, which is still a relatively uncommon procedure, was punctuated by the heartbreaking stories of two young men under very similar circumstances - one ending with a damaged face, the other in a death.
Here's how the decade-long story unfolded.