[CBS News] Texan Dallas Wiens has traveled to Boston to seek a medical miracle. 14 months ago while fixing a church window, his head accidentally struck a power line which literally burned his face off.
At age 24, Wiens has had over twenty surgeries to repair his face but it has left him with little more than a mouth. Now, Wiens is one of the first people to be eligible for a new procedure in Boston involving an entire face transplant. He told reporters that it would all be worth it if he was able to see his two year old daughter again.
Wiens has set up a foundation to help cover his medical costs and, if selected, would move to Boston for the better part of a year so that doctors could monitor him after the surgeries.
The hospital, Brigham and Womens Hospital, completed the second ever face transplant in the US two months ago with a $3.4 million contract from the Pentagon looking to help disfigured vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Wiens is hoping to be added to the list.
[CBS News] Despite expanding the field in Best Picture to 10 for the first time this year, not a single comedy made the list. (500) Days of Summer and The Hangover have both gotten their critical acclaim nationwide, the latter even picked up a Golden Globe. But the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences who nominate the films each year for the Oscars apparently still hate laughing.
We shouldn’t be surprised when our favorite films don’t make a dent on the list each year. The Dark Knight, besides being one of the highest grossing films ever (not to mention extremely badass), was snubbed big time last year and this year similar blockbusters including Star Trek, Where the Wild Things Are, and Public Enemies. Heck, Mr. Oscar himself Clint Eastwood didn’t even get a nod this year for his film Invictus. I guess that’ll be the last time he makes a movie without Hillary Swank.
This is not to say that all the films on this year’s Best Picture list aren’t great films. Hurt Locker (pictured above) is probably one of the most intense movies in years and Avatar has redefined what it means to make a Sci-Fi flick. But we’re still a little upset that we won’t get the chance to see Zach Galifianakis make an acceptance speech this year. That would have been pretty epic.
