She lost half her face in 1999. But now doctors have given her a reason to take off the mask...see more in cmnt

 

She lost half her face in 1999. But now doctors have given her a reason to take off the mask...see more

 

She lost half her face in 1999. But now doctors have given her a reason to take off the mask.

When she decided to throw a spring party at her house in March 1999, 16-year-old Chrissy Steltz could never have imagined the devastating consequences her decision would have.

That night she literally lost half her face.

This is Chrissy Steltz, 16 years old. The photo was taken before an accident that would take half of her face.

It all started with a party for Chrissy's friends. They wanted to celebrate spring break together. There was alcohol flowing and everyone was laughing. But soon the atmosphere changed.

The hostess went into one of the rooms to offer the guests orange juice and saw one of her friends with a rifle in his hands. 

Chrissy told her friend, "Put that down before you kill someone."

But he replied that it was not loaded.

The incident

Seconds later, Chrissy was shot in the face. Point blank after her boyfriend pulled the trigger on an obviously loaded gun. And Chrissy's life changed forever.

Her boyfriend at the time, Will O'Brien, came across the bloody scene shortly afterwards.

"I don't know if you've ever seen an injured animal try to get up," Will says. "That's what I saw. I saw an injury that no one survives, except someone really strong. And she was trying to get up."

Chrissy was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where surgeons worked diligently to save her life.

They managed to keep her alive, but three-quarters of her face was destroyed and they couldn't save her eyes and nose.

The recovery

The girl was in a coma for a long time, and doctors and her family hoped for a miracle. She had escaped severe brain injuries, but no one knew if Chrissy would ever wake up.

The doctors had never seen such a severe case.

Finally, after six intense weeks, Chrissy regained consciousness and took the first steps on her long road to recovery.

"In my mind, I was on a trip to the beach with my family. I thought I had fallen asleep in the back seat of the car."

Chrissy's high school boyfriend, Will, had to explain to her how badly she had been shot. He had to tell her that she would never see or smell anything again.

Of course, Chrissy was shocked, but she took the news better than anyone could have imagined.

From the moment she left the hospital, Chrissy began learning to live as a blind person. Among other things, she learned Braille and how to walk with a cane.

Chrissy didn't want to leave her old life behind, so she returned to her old high school. She even graduated with honors in all her classes and attended the prom.

Second chance

Chrissy's relationship with Will soon ended, but he was incredibly supportive of her after the incident.

But soon, a new love emerged. At a blind date, Chrissy met a man named Jeffrey Dilger. Like Chrissy, Jeffrey lost his sight at the age of 16, but due to an illness.

Things worked out for them, and today their relationship is stronger than ever. They have a child, also named Jeffrey.

Despite all the challenges she faced, the girl continued to have a positive outlook on life.

YouTube/ABC

However, there was one thing that Chrissy thought would make things much better: getting a face for her son to look at.

New face

https://twitter.com/SeriousStrange/status/641098272862535680

In 2010, after 11 years of wearing a black sleep mask, Chrissy was about to receive a facial prosthesis from a team of surgeons.

The team used photos of 16-year-old Chrissy to create eyes and a nose that matched the rest of her face.

Doctors Larry Over and David Traynor were tasked with creating Chrissy's face. The rest of the team of surgeons removed damaged tissue from Chrissy's face, created an airway, and added dental implants.

They also used transplanted skin from Chrissy's left leg, as well as screws and metal plates so that the prosthesis could be easily removed.

The face came with full makeup, including eyeliner, eyeshadow, and mascara – all made of silicone.

The prosthesis and surgery cost $20,000, which was not covered by Chrissy's insurance. But the doctors and nurses decided to work in their spare time, for free.

The New Chrissy 

All relatives, including little Jeffrey, accepted their mother's new look very well.

Chrissy tells ABC News that she can see the world and people she knows in her dreams.

"When I go to bed every night… I see the dreams fully. I still see the sky. I still see… you know, the ocean…”

Even though most people feel sorry for her, Chrissy says they shouldn't.

"When someone finds out how I went blind, their first comment 99 percent of the time is, 'I'm sorry.' And my response to that is, 'No problem. I survived,'" she tells Oregon Live.

"I'm not someone you want to feel sorry for. I'm still alive. I'm still here and having fun. I'm very happy."

Although Chrissy's prosthesis will need to be replaced in a few years, she says her future looks promising.