A Fredericksburg, Va. man who was wounded in war and recently became one of the world’s first double arm transplant patients.
John Peck was wounded twice serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2010, he stepped on an IED. Peck lost both arms and both legs, but not his determination or his sense of humor.
Just hours ago, Marine Corps veteran John Peck gained control of his donor’s elbow for the first time.
It’s just the latest breakthrough following his remarkable double arm transplant surgery in August. Twelve surgeons at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston worked for 14 hours. When Peck woke, he had arms and his girlfriend Jessica Paker at his side.
"The meds start wearing off and I tell Jessica, I was like “I have hands! I have hands!,'" Peck recalled.
Doctors say those transplanted arms will eventually allow him to feel and grasp things in a way prosthetics couldn’t.
Paker took a photograph and showed him the donor’s arms were a perfect match, both skin color and size.
"Then I just like started busting down crying," Peck said. “I have hands again!”
Peck and Paker’s meeting is a tale in itself. She messaged him on Facebook after seeing his profile on match.com.
"I left it alone for a little bit because a beautiful woman writing me on Facebook is kind of like red flag," Peck said.
And he was blunt about his situation.
"I said look, I’m a quad amputee. I’ve been injured twice. Once in Iraq, once in Afghanistan. Here’s what’s going on," Peck said. "I’m not here for a sugar mamma, I’m not here for a caregiver. I’m looking for a family."
Today, Peck and Paker are engaged and planning their future. And Peck can pet his service dog Nasar for the first time.
Peck describes his arm donor’s gift as something that is not going to go to waste at all. In fact, of all the careers in the world, he plans to become a chef. Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine has offered to teach him.
If you’d like to follow Peck’s incredible progress, you can visit his Facebook page.
