Gemma's new tongue, reconstructed with tissue from her arm. (Representative Image)
It is now extremely hard to get an organ back after it has been severed from your body after an accident or surgery, but with the aid of new biological and medical technology, it has occasionally been achieved.
During surgery for severe cancer, a British woman lost 90% of her tongue. Her ability to talk once more, however, defies the advice of the experts.
According to The Metro, Gemma Weeks, 37, said she had been having problems with her tongue for six years after a small white patch appeared on the side. But in February this year, a large hole developed, which was so painful she couldn't eat. Gemma went to the doctor and was told that she had stage-four mouth and neck cancer and was rushed into surgery.
The news outlet further reported that doctors told her she would have to have most of her tongue removed and might never be able to speak again after it was rebuilt using tissue grafts from her arm. But she defied their prediction when she managed to say 'hello' to her fiance and daughter when they came to visit just a few days after the surgery.
"Initially, after the operation, I wasn't able to talk at all, and doctors thought it would stay that way. The first word I said was "hello" when my fiancé and daughter came to visit me a few days after surgery," said Gemma.
"It didn't sound at all like me, but it was progress, which I've been working on ever since, and now people can actually understand me, mostly."