PITTSBURGH (AP) _ Jeff Kepner’s wife says the two of them are thanking God for his new hands.
Valarie Kepner says her husband lost his hands and feet a decade ago to sepsis that developed from a strep infection. This week, he became the first person in the United States to undergo a double hand transplant. Monday’s surgery was performed at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Jeff Kepner isn’t able move his new hands or feel them yet; that will depend on how long it takes for his nerves to grow, a process that could take months.
But Valarie Kepner says they both have the same positive attitude they’ve had for the past ten years, a joy that’s grounded in their Christian faith. She says their home church in Augusta, Ga., has set up a fund to help with their uncovered expenses.