Kim Smith, of Buckinghamshire, England, lost all of her limbs after contracting an infection and getting sepsis while on vacation in Spain in 2017. Now she’s thrilled after receiving a new hand through a transplant operation. Her doctors were trying for a double hand transplant during the 14-hour surgery, but the right hand had to be abandoned. Nevertheless, Smith says she’s “over the moon” and finds herself now left-handed. “I was right-handed, but now I just do everything left-handed and it came naturally,” she said. The 64-year-old says it’s as though she’s had the hand all her life. She even joked about how her husband Steve was going to buy her new engagement and wedding rings because the fingers on her new hand are slightly bigger. Smith says she didn’t expect to be able to do so much so soon, even though her motor skills could take up to a year to come back. Doctors say it may be about four years before she’s gets full feeling in her hand. Smith says she’s most excited about being able to brush her own teeth and feed herself. “Hands are so much more than mechanical parts, they play an irreplaceable role in human communication and connection, and so it is always an honor to be able to carry out such a life-changing surgery,” said Dr. Simon Kay, who performed the surgery.
