Cancer survivor rebuilds lost face from parts of his legs

A man who lost half his face to cancer has successfully had his
face rebuilt by a genius surgeon.

Tim McGrath, 38, was diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma, an
extremely rare form of soft tissue cancer, which left him with the
grapefruit-sized tumour growing on his face.

Doctors managed to cut out the cancerous tumour, but his
body rejected multiple attempts to rebuild it.

But after a year of living with exposed flesh, top surgeon
Dr Kongkrit Chaiyasate, who heard about Tim’s plight, agreed to help him.

Using skin from his leg and forearm, the surgeon was able to
successfully reconstruct the 38-year-old’s face.

Tim, from Michigan, USA, is now enjoying every opportunity
he is given despite the reconstruction work being ongoing, Metro revealed.

The keen golfer said: “After the operation to remove the
tumour I was heartbroken, I didn’t realise that half of my face would be taken
away and it wasn’t until I went to Dr Chaiyasate that I start to feel real hope
again.

“I was covered in scars from previous surgeries which
limited my options for reconstruction but we went ahead and the outcome has
been incredible.

“He reconstructed my face using skin and muscle from my left
leg, left forearm, and a flap from my forehead, and skin graphs were used to
help the healing process.

“I currently can’t drink liquid, eat through my mouth, or
pronounce certain words, however my quality of life has improved massively.

“There are people who stare at me, mostly children who don’t
understand, but I would hope that others look past what they can see.

“My journey has been long and mostly inconceivable to most,
but I have an amazing support group around me and I draw strength from them
daily.

“I have been through something horrific, but if what I’ve
gone through can inspire people to live their lives with gratitude for the
things they take for granted than it makes what I’ve gone through all worth it.”

Tim was first diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma in February
2014 after complaining of severe jaw pain.

An MRI revealed an egg sized tumour however Tim turned down
surgery and spent the following 18 months seeking none surgical alternatives.

Unfortunately Synovial Sarcoma is resistant to many things,
including chemotherapy, and the tumour continued to grow.