Vt. Woman Disfigured in Attack Reveals Her New Face

(NECN: Boston, Mass.) - A Vermont woman who was disfigured after an attack by her ex-husband revealed her new face on Wednesday morning.

Carmen Blandin Tarleton of Thetford, 44, underwent a face transplant in February after a 2007 attack in which her estranged husband doused her with industrial strength lye, burning more than 80 percent of her body.

In 2009, Herbert Rodgers pleaded guilty to maiming Tarleton in exchange for a prison sentence of at least 30 years.

The hospital says more than 30 surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses worked for more than 15 hours to replace her skin, muscles, tendons and nerves with those of the donor.

She spoke at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

The daughter of the donor joined her at the event, along with the lead surgeon who performed the procedure.

The face donor was a Williamstown, Mass., woman, Cheryl Denelli Righter, who died of a sudden stroke, a hospital spokeswoman said. Righter's daughter's name is Marinda.

Marinda told Tarleton that she looked beautiful, adding she was certain her mother had somehow picked Tarleton.

Transplant history at BWH:

· 1954 - BWH surgeons perform the world's first successful human organ donor transplant, a kidney, from one brother to another.  
· 1984 - BWH Surgeons perform the first heart transplant in New England.
· 2009 - A team lead by Dr. Bodhan Pomahac performs a partial face transplant on James Maki.
· 2011 - A team lead by Dr. Bohdan Pomahac performs the first full face transplant in the country on Dallas Wiens.  This is followed by the country's second and third full face transplants months later. Blandin Tarleton is the hospital's fifth face transplant.
· 2011 - A team led by Dr. Bohdan Pomahac performs the first two double hand transplants in New England.

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