After Husband Shoots Wife In The Face, She Receives Stunning Face Transplant

As human beings, we're extremely social creatures. With the exception of a very, very select few, we tend to thrive when we're in communities, have friends, and even have mates. In fact, we spend a good portion of our lives looking for someone that we want to spend our lives with, raise kids with, and, realistically, share every memory with. Looking for "the one" is often a cumbersome task, but we generally find them when we're least expecting them. Sadly, not all married couples remain together, but not every relationship has to fall into crumbles, either. Some relationships can end on friendly terms, whereas others could be surrounded by hostility and negativity.

Ideally, however, our relationships would last a lifetime.

I mean, it kind of goes with the whole "'til death do us part" thing, right?

Sadly, relationships can take a lot of unexpected turns.

While it's relatively uncommon, some people show their true colors after marriage.

Meet Connie Culp.

Connie was a relatively happy woman in a relationship with a man she loved.

Connie and her husband were married for some time and even had kids together.

I guess you could say life was good for them. However, that all changed one night...

Immediately before things took a turn for the worse, Connie began noticing some signs.

Her husband began bullying her and, on some occasions, would even strike her.

After getting into an argument, her husband, Tom Culp, aimed a gun at her and shot her in the face, leaving her disfigured.

"I remember him lifting the gun, and what he said to me, and then firing," she said.

And while it seemed things could only get worse, a glimmer of hope came.

A few years after the traumatic incident, Connie was put in line to receive the first face transplant in the United States.

First, she had to have X-rays done to fully assess the damage.

Needless to say, after being shot by a shotgun, it wasn't looking good.

Her nose had been destroyed, along with the roof of her mouth and cheeks. To add to that, she also went blind in one eye.

The damage was extensive, but doctors were certain they could help her.

The only thing stopping Connie from receiving her transplant was the need to find a matching donor, though that donor eventually came.

After passing away from a heart attack, Anna Kasper was shown to be a match for Connie.

After 23 hours of surgery, Connie emerged a new person.

She was quoted as saying, "I know it's not my face, but I feel thankful that I have one now."

And years later, Connie's face kept undergoing more and more changes, eventually giving her a more normal life.

To add to that, the surgery gave Connie the confidence to finalize the divorce with her ex-husband.

It truly is amazing how far science has come in being able to help people — especially when you see how far Connie has come.