A woman marrying the man who had the world’s first transplant has lifted the lid on their relationship – and the cruel reaction they’ve had from trolls.
Joe DiMeo made international headlines when he got the life-changing surgery back in 2020, following a car accident two years prior.
Eight months after the transplant, the 26-year-old’s life changed again when he met nurse Jessica Perez, 33.
Now, the couple have announced their engagement with a stunning photoshoot – and they couldn’t be happier to embark on their “new chapter” together.
But despite their joy, the couple have faced cruel comments from trolls.
“I get a lot of hate online, at this point I feel like a punching bag,” the New York-based nurse told Need To Know.
“People say I’m a gold digger, attention seeking, and call me fake.
“Most of the feedback since announcing our engagement has been incredibly positive, but unfortunately, the online bullying hasn’t completely gone away.
“Around 10% of the comments are still cruel and repetitive.
“It’s the same unoriginal insults, mostly targeting Joe’s appearance, and at times, I get attacked personally.
“It’s hard to understand how people form such strong opinions from just brief clips of our lives—we only share seconds of our day.
“Some of the cruellest remarks are just ignorant jokes, like comparing Joe to someone with a peanut allergy or bee stings, which only shows how uneducated people can be.
“As for the hate, I ignore most of it – but every now and then, I respond with the goal of educating the bullies.
“It’s shocking when you see it’s a single father making fun of someone with a disability, so I might reply with something like, ‘Do better for your kids.’
“Sometimes it’s grown women attacking me, and I’ll respond the same way, encouraging them to do better.
“It’s hard to believe we live in a world where grown men make fun of someone disabled or women tear down other women.
“We’re all one accident away from a disability ourselves, and people should remember that.”
After all the couple have faced – including the online comments – Joe, who is based in Jersey, US, described his joy at their impending nuptials.
He said: “After everything – from the transplant surgeries to the recovery – there’s this feeling of appreciation for the simple things.
“Planning this wedding is like the start of a new chapter.
“It’s a symbol of how far we’ve come together.
“I’m just focused on continuing to live a good life with Jessica by my side.”
The young man was in the accident in July 2018 while driving home from work at night, as his car hit a curb and caught fire – and was left with burns across 80% of his body.
Since then, he’s had 20 reconstructive surgeries and become the first-ever person to receive a face and double hand transplant, making history worldwide.
He bonded with Jessica on Instagram, after she read about his story and messaged him.
She said: “From our first phone call, Joe was special to me.
“We talked every day on the phone, it was a long distance for us at the beginning – with me based in Ohio and him based in New Jersey.
“I fell in love with him the first time I hugged him.
“Joe checks all the boxes for me.”
Joe said of their proposal: “I popped the question before dinner.
“It was simple. We went to Peter Luger’s, a spot we both love.
“It was a low-key, intimate moment surrounded by people we care about, my parents.
“We’ve built such a strong bond, and it was just a natural next step for us.
“I wasn’t too nervous – it felt like something we were both ready for.”
Jessica said she “wasn’t surprised” as they had discussed marriage plans, but that it “didn’t make it any less special”.
She added: “Everything just fell into place.”
The couple have set their sights on an elopement, and plan to head to Hawaii to tie the knot.
Jessica said: “We originally planned to go to Oahu for my birthday, but we decided, why not get married while we’re there?
“It’s just going to be us and a livestream for our families, which makes sense since I’m from California and Joe’s from New Jersey.
“We wanted to make it easier on everyone, so doing it virtually felt like the right call.
“We’re excited about the future.
“We’re building a life together that’s grounded in strength and resilience.
“At the heart of it, we just want to enjoy the moments we have together – that’s what matters most.”
