WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In a world
that seems increasingly obsessed with image, National Geographic
has today unveiled an exclusive and powerful new story, over two
years in the making, that asks the question: 'Are we our
faces?'
To follow the story of Katie
Stubblefield, the youngest face transplant recipient in U.S.
history, a team of National Geographic journalists was given
unprecedented access by the Cleveland Clinic to document Katie's
journey and detail a full-face transplant procedure in a way that
has never before been done. The story is featured on the cover of
the September 2018 edition of
National Geographic and is available now at
natgeo.com/face. National
Geographic has also released a 22-minute documentary, "Katie's New
Face," here.
The Cleveland Clinic performed the full-face transplant over the
course of a 31-hour procedure in 2017. Writer Joanna Connors, as well as photographers
Maggie Steber and Lynn Johnson, together spent hundreds of hours
with Katie, her parents and doctors over a period of more than two
years, documenting Katie's story at the Cleveland Clinic,
throughout many surgeries, and ongoing as she continues her
recovery.
"'The Story of a Face' is about hope and resilience, identity,
the power of a family's love and devotion to their daughter, and
the medical miracle that gives Katie
Stubblefield a second chance at life," said Susan Goldberg, Editorial Director of National
Geographic Partners and Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic
magazine. "It is told with the unparalleled visual storytelling
that National Geographic is known for and uniquely connects
audiences to the deeply human story behind the science, thanks to
the bravery of Katie and her family who gave us unfettered access
to share their journey with the world. The result is an
extraordinary look at a breakthrough scientific procedure that will
make you question how you think about the relationship between
outward appearance and our inner selves."
Katie's face transplant surgery was paid for by the U.S.
Department of Defense through the Armed Forces Institute of
Regenerative Medicine, in an effort to improve treatment for
service members who are wounded in battle and come back with
similar injuries. As such, Katie's face transplant surgery has made
her a lifelong experiment for the treatment of ballistic trauma to
the face.
Trauma to Katie's face occurred on March
25, 2014, when Katie was 18 years old, by a self-inflicted
gunshot wound. Katie received a full-face transplant starting
May 4, 2017. Katie was 21 years old
at that time, making her the youngest full-face transplant
recipient in the United
States.
Katie was on the transplant list for over a year before a donor
was found. Adrea Schneider, a
31-year-old woman who had recently passed away, was a match. Her
grandmother, Sandra Bennington, made
the decision to donate Adrea's face to Katie. Adrea was a
registered organ donor whose heart, lungs, kidneys and liver were
also donated and saved lives across the United States.
In publishing "The Story of a Face," National Geographic
continues its tradition of bringing its audiences around the world
incredible stories of science, exploration and the human journey in
an up-close and personal way. In the last two years, National
Geographic has explored the latest developments in the science
behind addiction in response to the global opioid crisis; released
a single-topic issue on the shifting landscape of gender that
became a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting;
and published The Race Issue, a controversial, yet timely
exploration of what race means in the 21st century.
"The Story of a Face," from the September
2018 issue of National Geographic magazine, is available
online now at natgeo.com/face and on print newsstands
August 28.
INFORMATION FOR PRESS:
Interviews and visuals available.
"Story of a Face" digital hub: natgeo.com/face
Direct link to full cover story, "The Story of a Face":
here
Direct link to full documentary: here
Link to Editor-in-Chief Susan
Goldberg's Editor's Letter about the cover story:
here
Link to b-roll of Editor-in-Chief Susan
Goldberg discussing "The Story of a Face": here
Link to list of available spokespeople and individual pieces of
content: here
Link to September issue media alert: here
Link to social media toolkit: here
Link to teen suicide prevention resources:
http://natgeo.com/katiespeaksup
National Geographic Partners LLC
National Geographic
Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and
21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium
science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled
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Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic's
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activities that include travel, global experiences and events,
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knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose
of National Geographic for 130 years, and now we are committed to
going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers …
and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries
and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of
our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund
work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and
education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or
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SOURCE National Geographic