Ham on Wry Award--Charla Nash

Charla Nash has emerged as a model of courage in overcoming immense obstacles resulting from a male chimp attack that robbed her of her nose, eyes, lips, and hands in 2009.  The 200-pound chimp, owned by a friend, attacked without warning and police later killed the animal, which then posed a danger to society.  When Ms. Nash appeared on Oprah later that year, she revealed the damage done to her face by lifting the veil that she wore in public.  Ham on Wry has chosen not to use that photo, but interested readers can see a gallery of Charla Nash pictures online. It includes a picture of how she looked then, and readers can access it by using any of the major search engines and inputting her name in the search box.  

Charla Nash on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2009

After coping with the various disabilities implicit with the kind of trauma she suffered, Charla underwent a facial transplant in May, only the third ever attempted in the United States.  An anonymous female donor provided the face, hands, and other tissue used in the complex surgery that lasted for twenty hours.  She developed pneumonia, which affected the hand transplants and necessitated their removal, but doctors plan a second transplant of hands, if conditions allow.  When asked for a statement about the operations, Nash replied, "I will now be able to do things I once took for granted. I will be able to smell. I will be able to eat normally. I will no longer be disfigured. I will have lips and will speak clearly once again. I will be able to kiss and hug loved ones."  Those abilities were lost to her until she had the transplant.

Briana Nash Visits Her Mother After Surgery

Throughout her ordeal, Charla has maintained a positive attitude and hopes now to experience life with a modicum of normalcy now.  Ham on Wry wishes her well and hopes that she will eventually have the use of some new hands following a second transplant.