GROUP OF MARINES AND SAILORS WHO TOOK PART IN THE EVENT. AN AUGUSTA MAN IS SERVING AS AN INSPIRATION FOR WOUNDED WARRIORS AND ALL OTHER AMPTUEES.HES THE FIRST PERSON EVER TO GET A DOUBLE HAND TRANSPLANT IN THE UNITED STATES.IT WENT SO WELL HE DEFINITELY WONT BE THE LAST. WHEN WE MET JEFF KEPNER 6 MONTHS AGO HE WAS SITTING IN THIS SA CHAIR BELOW THIS SAME PAINTING NEXT TO THIS SAME PHONE.BUT HES HARDLY THE SAME MAN. MAN.jeff: When we finally got the call, I was scared to death. I thought, well, this is gonna happen.AND IT DID.HE AND HIS 2 NEW HANDS ARE LIVING PROOF EVEN IF THEY DONT FEEL NEW. NEW.jeff: I felt like I never lost them, like they were there the whole time.BUT JEFF HASNT HAD HANDS FOR 10 YEARS.THATS WHEN HE CAME DOWN WITH STREP THROAT.HE WAS IN A COMA AND WHEN HE WOKE UP HE HAD TO TRE HIS LIMBS FOR HIS LIFE.AT THE TIME HE HAD NO IDEA GETTING NEW HANDS WAS EVEN POSSIBLE. POSSIBLE.jeff: NATS: And this arm, this one is farther ahead than this arm. See, Im still kind of floppy on this one. MATCHING JEFF WASNT EASY BECAUSE THERES MORE THAN JUST THE WORRY HIS BODY MIGHT REJECT THEM.THE DONOR HAD TO LOOK LIKE HIM. HIM.jeff: hes a little hairier than I am, but other than that, the color, everything, matches perfectly. I feel really comfortable with them.BUT THEY CANT FEEL PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING YET. JEFF HAS A LOT OF WORK AHEA OF HIM. HIM.jeff: Therapy, therapy and more therapy.BUT THAT THERAPY IS GOING SO WELL HES ALREADY HAD A BREAKTHROUGH.FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS WEEK HE FELT TEMPERATURE. TEMPERATURE.jef oh, thats cold. Youre kidding me? Thats not supposed to happen for a while yet.AND THATS NOT THE ONLY MIRACLE. JEFFS SUCCESS COULD HELP COUNTLESS OTHERS. OTHERSval: for a lot of our soldiers or military, people coming back that this could be a possibility for them and hes aart of this.JES WIFE VALARIE WAS THE ONE WHO SET THIS ALL UP. SHE MADE THE CALL ABOUT THE CLINICAL TRIAL AND JEFF HAD NO IDEA.NO JEFF HAS MUCH MORE. MORE.val: wow has hands.AND HE HAS FAITH.IN ALL HONESTY HES NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THIS WELL. WELL.jeff: and they just cant explain it, well, how about prayer? Maybe thats the answer. You know? JEFFS SURGERY WAS DONE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH MEDICAL CENTER.THE ACTUAL OPERATION TOOK 10 HOURS BUT HE WAS THERE FOR 5 MONTHS. IVE BEEN FOLLOWING HIS PROGRESS ON THIS WEBSITE THE FAMILY RUNS.YOU ARE LOOKING AT IT LIVE NOW.ITS CALLED NEW HANDS FOR JEFF.THERE ARE PICTURES AND BLOGS ALL KINDS OF INFORMATION.YOU CAN FOLLOW HIS PROGRESS TOO.JUST GOT TO WRDWDOTCOM.CLICK ON THE FIND IT BUTTON.

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AIRDATE: 10-16-2009
TRANSCRIPT: group of marines and sailors who took part in the event. an augusta man is serving as an inspiration for wounded warriors and all other amptuees.hes the first person ever to get a double hand transplant in the united states.it went so well he definitely wont be the last. when we met jeff kepner 6 months ago he was sitting in this sa chair below this same painting next to this same phone.but hes hardly the same man. man.jeff: when we finally got the call, i was scared to death. i thought, well, this is gonna happen.and it did.he and his 2 new hands are living proof even if they dont feel new. new.jeff: i felt like i never lost them, like they were there the whole time.but jeff hasnt had hands for 10 years.thats when he came down with strep throat.he was in a coma and when he woke up he had to tre his limbs for his life.at the time he had no idea getting new hands was even possible. possible.jeff: nats: and this arm, this one is farther ahead than this arm. see, im still kind of floppy on this one. matching jeff wasnt easy because theres more than just the worry his body might reject them.the donor had to look like him. him.jeff: hes a little hairier than i am, but other than that, the color, everything, matches perfectly. i feel really comfortable with them.but they cant feel pretty much anything yet. jeff has a lot of work ahea of him. him.jeff: therapy, therapy and more therapy.but that therapy is going so well hes already had a breakthrough.for the first time this week he felt temperature. temperature.jef oh, thats cold. youre kidding me? thats not supposed to happen for a while yet.and thats not the only miracle. jeffs success could help countless others. othersval: for a lot of our soldiers or military, people coming back that this could be a possibility for them and hes aart of this.jes wife valarie was the one who set this all up. she made the call about the clinical trial and jeff had no idea.no jeff has much more. more.val: wow has hands.and he has faith.in all honesty hes not supposed to be doing this well. well.jeff: and they just cant explain it, well, how about prayer? maybe thats the answer. you know? jeffs surgery was done at the university of pittsburgh medical center.the actual operation took 10 hours but he was there for 5 months. ive been following his progress on this website the family runs.you are looking at it live now.its called new hands for jeff.there are pictures and blogs all kinds of information.you can follow his progress too.just got to wrdwdotcom.click on the find it button.