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2 tragedies intersected to give this man a face transplant - and the story that unfolded is powerful

Lydia RamseyFeb 18, 2017, 02:25 IST

In this Jan. 25, 2017, photo, face transplant recipient Andy Sandness is hugged by Dr. Samir Mardini, foreground, during a visit to the Saint Marys Hospital campus at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Mardini led a medical team to perform Sandness' face transplant surgery, the first performed at the medical center.AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

In June, the Mayo Clinic performed its first face transplant.

The medical feat, which is still a relatively uncommon procedure, was punctuated by the heartbreaking stories of two young men under very similar circumstances - one ending with a damaged face, the other in a death.

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Here's how the decade-long story unfolded.