Nineteen-year-old Uğur Acar, who has been Turkey's first ever face transplant patient, saw his new face for the first time on Monday, Feb 13, Today’s Zaman reported.

Acar, who suffered serious burns to his face during a house fire that occurred when he was just 40 days old, underwent a successful face transplant operation last month at Antalya University's Faculty of Medicine. The face transplant was made possible after the family of a man, Ahmet Kaya, who had been declared brain dead two weeks ago, donated all of his organs.

Acar saw his new face for the first time on Monday and had his first shave. “I thank Turkish doctors,” was among his first words after seeing his new face on the mirror. He said he would like to visit his ailing mother after he is discharged from hospital and then visit the family of Kaya, his donor.