A Briton who broke almost every bone in his face in a horror skiing accident said he is only “starting to recognize himself” after undergoing 12 hours of major surgery.
Josh Ziv, 22, from Barnet in London, fell from a 20ft cliff while on a family skiing holiday in Courmayeur, Italy.
He was flown to a hospital in Turin, where it was discovered that he had broken almost every bone in his face except his jaw. Mr Ziv had also broken his pelvis and ribs, had a punctured lung and a dislocated shoulder.
Ziv then underwent a 12-hour surgery to install titanium plates in his face and skull to reconstruct it, leaving him with a huge scar from ear to ear. In addition to major facial surgery, Mr. Ziv also underwent hip surgery in which three screws were placed in his hip to stabilize fractures in his pelvis.
The accident changed the appearance of Mr. Ziv’s face and he had to learn to walk again.
Josh Ziv, 22, from Barnet, is recovering in hospital after falling from a 20ft cliff while on a family skiing holiday in Courmayeur, Italy.
Ziv underwent a 12-hour surgery to install titanium plates in his face and skull to reconstruct it, leaving him with a huge scar from ear to ear.
An x-ray of Mr. Ziv’s face. Once airlifted to a hospital in Turin, it was discovered that Ziv had broken almost every bone in his face except his jaw.
The accident occurred in February 2023 and Ziv spent eight weeks recovering in Italy before recovering enough to fly back to London in April 2023.
He said: ‘For about two or three weeks after surgery, movement in my face was there, but restricted.
‘For example, raising eyebrows was difficult and certain movements with the mouth, such as pouting, were quite difficult.
‘My left eye was also very damaged and very swollen, so movement in that eye was non-existent at first.
‘Conversation-wise, I could always talk, but it was all a bit muttered. I broke my hard palate straight down the middle and had a pretty big split, which made speaking quite difficult.
“After surgery, they also put wires in my jaw, which blocked my mouth a bit.”
Once he got home. Mr. Ziv became aware of his scars.
He said: ‘I didn’t want anyone to look at me. It was horrible.
‘Even seeing myself on the back of photographs and stuff, it really affected me.
Mr. Ziv learns to walk again after the accident. He also had hip surgery where three screws were placed in his hip to stabilize his pelvic fractures.
A 3D model of the damage to Mr. Ziv’s face. Mr Ziv said: “For about two or three weeks after surgery, the movement in my face was there, but restricted.”
Mr. Ziv is recovering in the hospital. Once he got home. Mr. Ziv became aware of his scars. He said: ‘I didn’t want anyone to look at me. It was horrible’
‘It’s huge when you don’t feel confident about how you look. Everything falls apart.’
In June 2023, Ziv underwent his second facial surgery at the Royal London Hospital with surgeons Professor Simon Holmes and Dr Chrysavgi Oikonomou.
He said: ‘They make custom plates and titanium meshes that create symmetry in your face.
‘They take scans of your skull and combine it like a mirror to make custom implants to install in your face.
‘The surgeons did an incredible job. It took them two months to plan it.
“Now I have full movement in my face.”
Ellie Segrue, 22, Ziv’s girlfriend, has been with him every step of the way.
She said: ‘Seeing Josh like that was horrible. I felt so helpless and just wanted to take it away. It is very difficult to see someone you love suffer.
‘For me, nothing changed. He’s still Josh. I treated him exactly the same.
‘We slowly started dating after a while and I just tried to distract him from how he was feeling.
“I tried to assure him that no one would look at him differently and I always tried to make sure he was as comfortable as possible in any situation.”
Ziv will run the London Marathon at the end of April to raise money for Changing Faces, a charity that helps those with visible differences and disfigurements.
Mr. Ziv with his girlfriend, Ellie Segrue. She said: ‘Seeing Josh like that was horrible. I felt so helpless and just wanted to take it away. It’s so hard to see someone you love suffer.
Mr Ziv training for the London Marathon. He is raising money for Changing Faces, a charity that helps those with a visible difference.
He said: “I always joked with my mom that when I can move again, I’ll be able to run a marathon.”
‘I remember reading some of the stories on the website and I really related to them.
‘It has really affected me and the work they do to help with trust and support.
“It’s like the perfect time to come full circle and it’s nice to give back.”
Ziv added: “The important thing is to remember that it’s always bigger in your head than it is and that everyone loves you.”
“Everyone has their own little differences and scars, lumps and bumps.”
To donate to Josh’s fundraiser Click here.