Years after surviving a brutal chimpanzee attack that left her without a face or hands, 55-year-old Charla Nash is revealing the remarkable transformation following a groundbreaking face transplant — a procedure she says gave her more than a new look: it gave her life back.
Back in February 2009, Charla, a single mother, answered a call for help from her friend Sandra Herold in Stamford, Connecticut. Sandra’s 240-pound pet chimpanzee, Travis, had escaped the house, and she hoped Charla could help bring him inside. But within moments, the animal turned violent — launching a vicious attack that would change Charla’s life forever.
Travis the chimpanzee knocked Nash to the ground and launched a frenzied assault on her. The animal “mauled” her, ripping off her eyelids, nose, lips, hands, and much of her scalp.
Her friend tried desperately to stop the attack, beating the chimp with a shovel and stabbing him with a butcher knife. Nothing worked.
By the time police arrived, Travis was attempting to open a patrol car door while his face and body were covered in Nash’s blood. Officers shot but he escaped into the bush.
“He’s killing my friend! He ripped her face off! He’s eating her!” Herold screamed in a chilling 911 call.
While officers combed the nearby woods in search of Travis, the chimpanzee quietly slipped back inside the house. Moving on all fours, he wandered through the kitchen and into his bedroom, where he finally grasped his bedpost—and collapsed, lifeless.
When rescuers finally reached Charla Nash, she was barely clinging to life—having lost nearly half of her blood and left unrecognizable. Yet against all odds, she survived. What followed was an extraordinary medical journey that would rewrite the boundaries of modern medicine.
In a revealing interview with 60 Minutes Australia, Charla Nash opened up about her groundbreaking 2011 surgery at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Led by renowned surgeon Dr. Bohdan Pomahac, the pioneering 20-hour procedure involved a dedicated team of over 30 doctors and specialists.
They transplanted her entire face — including her upper palate and teeth — and attached two donor hands, marking a remarkable milestone in medical history.
Using powerful microscopes, surgeons painstakingly reconnected the intricate network of blood vessels and nerves — a delicate process that took six hours just to attach the donor hands.
Charla’s daughter, Brianna, recalled the moment doctors first suggested the face transplant: “The possibility of having a face transplant was phenomenal. It just… I hadn’t even imagined it before. It was beyond anything I could have dreamed of,” she said.
Tragically, despite the success of her face transplant, Charla’s body ultimately rejected the new hands after she battled pneumonia and sepsis. Doctors had no choice but to remove the transplanted hands, a devastating setback in her recovery.
Despite the setback, Nash remained deeply grateful for the chance to rebuild her life.
“It’s a wonderful thing,” she said. “I’ve learned to express gratitude for this opportunity to live a better life.”
When asked if the surgery gave her more than just a new face, Nash nodded without hesitation — saying it gave her “life back.”
Today, Charla lives in an assisted care facility where she undergoes daily rehabilitation and speech therapy. She is now preparing for another double-hand transplant and holds hope for receiving a second prosthetic eye.
But more than anything, Charla dreams of one day riding a horse again — a passion she cherished before the attack reshaped her life.
Meanwhile, Sandra Herold, the friend whose home the tragedy unfolded in, sadly passed away from a brain aneurysm just 12 months later.
Now, Charla Nash is suing the state of Connecticut, claiming officials ignored repeated warnings about Travis’s dangerous behavior. As her medical bills continue to grow, she hopes the lawsuit will provide the support needed for her long-term care and future surgeries.
In a powerful and emotional appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Charla Nash bravely removed the hat and veil she had worn to conceal her disfigurement. The episode, featured on ABC News’ YouTube channel, came with a warning to viewers that the images might be distressing — but Charla’s courage left a lasting impression.
“So the veil is lifted,” Oprah Winfrey said softly, as Charla calmly revealed her new face to the world. “Many people around the world have been waiting to see you,” she added. Nash responded quietly, “I did hear that.”
According to PETA, Nash’s story has been revisited in various media, including the docuseries Chimp Crazy, which highlights the dangers of keeping wild animals as pets.
PETA also reported that Travis had long exhibited signs of instability. In 2003, he escaped and roamed free for two hours, prompting animal control to warn Sandra Herold that Travis posed a serious public safety risk. Despite these warnings, no official action was taken.
By 2009, Travis had become morbidly obese and was mostly confined indoors—spending his days drinking wine, eating junk food, and watching TV—completely detached from the wild life he was meant to lead.
Though Charla Nash’s story is marked by unimaginable tragedy, it is also a testament to extraordinary resilience. From the brink of death to pioneering breakthroughs in medical science, her journey continues to inspire hope and courage around the world.
