Charla Nash, 57, was mauled by a friend's 200-pound pet chimpanzee in Stamford, Conn., in 2009. Her eyelids, nose, lips and hands were ripped off in the gruesome incident.

Nash lost her ability to see, smell and speak properly. She did undergo surgery at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass., and became one of a small number of people in the world to get a full face transplant.

The surgery lasted about 20 hours.

"My journey to recovery continued at Brigham and Women's Hospital... Here the medical team, led by Dr. Bohdan Pomahac, prepared me for a face transplant and a double hand transplant. My surgery was successfully completed a few months ago," Nash said in a 'first-ever' statement released by the hospital.

The chimpanzee Travis was shot and killed by police officers following the incident.

And Nash has said she is looking forward to doing things she once took for granted. Those things include being able to smell, eat normally, speak clearly and kiss loved ones.

Take a look at Nash's successful surgery and others like hers.