Man left with half a face due to cancer has it rebuilt

With a new lease on life, Tim McGrath shares his experience and what he's grateful for.

Update: 2017-07-08 10:07 GMT
Tim McGrath with Dr Kongkrit Chaiyasate. (Photo: Facebook / Tim McGrath)

A man who had one side of his face ravaged by a rare form of cancer has received life-changing surgery to have it rebuild.

38-year-old Tim McGrath, was diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma, which is an unusual form of soft tissue cancer. It caused a large tumour to grow on his face, the Daily Mail reported.

What it is Sarcomas?  The report by Daily Mail reveals it can grow in any part of the body. There are more than 3,000 new cases of this condition in the UK every year. While there are no obvious symptoms, patients may notice a painless, soft lump under the skin. It can also move around and get bigger. If anyone suspicious of a lump should consult with a doctor immediately.

Doctors were able to cut the tumour in McGrath, but his body rejected several attempts to rebuild and had to live with exposed flesh for almost a year.

When Dr Kongkrit Chaiyasate, a top surgeon stepped in, he decided to reconstruct Tim's face by using the skin from his leg and forarm. The operation was a success. Till date Tim has had 20 surgeries, out of which five were performed by Chaiyasate. The surgeon plans to reconstruct Tim's face which will continue in 2018.

In a Facebook post, Tim shares his gratitude and experience with having to live in this way. "Sometimes I have to look back at these photos to truly understand how far I've come and the reason why most of you view me as an inspiration," he said

He even shares photos of his progress so others can be inspired and be grateful for being able to do everyday normal functions.  "I put these photos up today for myself as a reminder for how far I've come since June of 2015, I also put these photos up today to allow others to draw inspiration and allow others to step back a understand how grateful you should be for health and family and also being able to complete the simplest of human functions, eating, drinking, and talking," he said.

Tim shared images of his progress through the years on Facebook.

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