In 1994, the world's first full-face replant operation was perfomed by Dr Abraham Thomas, one of India's leading microsurgeons, on nine-year old Sandeep Kaur (India),who had her face and scalp ripped off when one of her pigtails got caught in a threshing machine whilst on her family's farm in Chak Khurd, northern India.
Sandeep's mother, Harpal, put the face into a plastic bag, and then took her to Christian Medical College hospital - a drive of over three hours.
Dr Thomas was on duty and performed a 10-hour operation to reconnect nerves and bloodvessels.
The operation was successful and in 2005, as a 20 year-old-woman, Sandeep was studying to be a nurse.
"I think God had to have sent Dr. Thomas.
It was such a big tragedy.
" Her miraculous surgery has begged the question:
If it's possible to attach one's own torn-off face, is it possible to transplant a face?