Joe DiMeo is looking back on the extraordinary medical journey that reshaped his life after a devastating car crash left him with burns covering 80 percent of his body.
Now 27, DiMeo was just 18 when the accident occurred in 2018. After finishing a night shift, he fell asleep at the wheel of his Dodge Challenger in the early morning hours. The crash sparked a fire, and DiMeo would not regain consciousness for months, waking up in a burn unit with his life forever changed.
Seven years later, he is sharing his story in a new book, 80 Percent Gone, 100 Percent Strong: Rebuilt with Resilience, which chronicles his recovery and his groundbreaking face and double hand transplant — the first successful procedure of its kind.
In a recent TikTok video viewed more than a million times, DiMeo explained that he spent three and a half months in a coma and later had to relearn how to walk. He also revealed that he lost around 30 pounds of muscle while unconscious.
@joedimeo
It’s finally here. My book is out today, and I couldn’t be more grateful. It’s available now at 80percentgone.com
“I was a gym rat before the accident,” he shared, adding that doctors believe his muscle mass helped save his life. “If I didn’t have that muscle to lose, I probably wouldn’t have survived.”
After leaving the burn unit, DiMeo underwent extensive rehabilitation before returning to live with his parents. In 2019, he met Dr. Eduardo D. Rodriguez of NYU Langone, who believed DiMeo could be a candidate for a face and double-hand transplant — despite the significant risks involved.
The 23-hour surgery, performed in August 2020, required more than 140 medical professionals and used donations from a single 47-year-old donor. Since then, DiMeo has focused on rehab, rebuilding strength and mobility in his hands.
Encouraged by others, DiMeo eventually decided to write about his experience, hoping his story would inspire people facing their own struggles. Today, he continues to share his journey online, emphasizing resilience, gratitude, and the unexpected ways hardship can lead to a meaningful life.
