16 Years After Chimpanzee Attack, Charla Nash Reflects on Life with Face Transplant and Long Road to Recovery

Charla Nash, now 71, has spoken publicly about her journey 16 years after surviving a brutal chimpanzee attack that left her disfigured and changed her life forever. In February 2009, Nash was viciously mauled by a 200-pound chimpanzee named Travis at the home of her friend and employer, Sandra Herold, in Stamford, Connecticut.

Travis, who had appeared in commercials and was treated by Herold like a human child, ripped off Nash’s nose, lips, eyelids, and hands during the attack. In a desperate effort to stop the rampaging animal, Herold struck him with a shovel and stabbed him with a large knife, but Travis did not relent. Police eventually shot and killed the animal upon arriving at the scene. Nash, critically injured and left unrecognizable, was rushed to the hospital in a fight for her life.

In 2011, Nash received a full face transplant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the third such operation ever performed there. Funded by the U.S. military, the procedure aimed to advance medical knowledge that could benefit injured veterans. While the transplant on her hands failed, the facial surgery was a success. She was fitted with glass eyes after becoming blind due to an infection transmitted by the chimpanzee.

Sixteen years later, Nash continues to undergo extensive rehabilitation and speech therapy while living in an assisted care facility. She has gradually regained partial sensation in her face and has recently started eating solid food again. “It’s a wonderful thing, and words can’t express the gratitude,” she said in a recent interview. “Little by little, it’s coming back. I can feel my cheek and forehead. My goal is to eat again.”

Nash shared how the attack forced her to relinquish her independence. “I’ve lost so much… I could change my own truck tire, and now I can’t even feed myself,” she previously stated. Yet, she remains determined to persevere and hopes one day to leave institutional care and live on a small farm in a quiet town. “Life’s getting better. It’s hard, but it’s better.”

She undergoes regular MRIs, CT scans, and other tests as part of the military’s long-term study into face transplant recovery, including monitoring nerve regeneration, blood flow to the transplant, facial scarring, and eyelid function.

Nash’s story has also become a focal point for animal rights and public safety. She has partnered with advocacy groups to push for stricter laws regulating exotic animal ownership. “I never felt right about Travis being in the house. He wasn’t a pet,” Nash said. She recalled warning signs before the attack and often questioned how it was legal for Herold to keep such a powerful animal as a companion.

On the day of the incident, Herold reportedly gave Travis iced tea laced with Xanax in an attempt to calm him after he had stolen car keys and tried to operate vehicles. Nash arrived at the house to help and was attacked shortly after. Investigators later theorized that the chimp may have mistaken Nash, who had a new hairstyle, for an intruder. The drug, commonly used for anxiety in humans, may have intensified the chimp’s aggression.

Sandra Herold died of an aneurysm in 2010. Her estate ultimately settled with Nash for $4 million in compensation, which included real estate, cash, machinery, and vehicles. Nash’s attempt to sue the state of Connecticut for $150 million was denied, as chimpanzee ownership was not prohibited under state law at the time of the attack.

Despite her traumatic experience, Nash remains hopeful and determined to use her story to prevent future tragedies. “I’ve never been a quitter,” she said, noting her ongoing advocacy work and her desire to protect others from the dangers of exotic pets.