POSTING news of her engagement on Instagram alongside a snap of her new fiance, smitten Jessica Perez watches as the comments pour in.
But instead of congratulating her or making gushing comments about the sparkling diamond ring on her finger, Jessica, 33, is ridiculed for her choice in partner.
“What’s wrong with his face?” writes one, while another jibes, “He must have had an allergic reaction.”
That’s because Jessica’s fiance is Joe DiMeo, the man who made headlines worldwide when he had life-changing surgery to save his face back in 2020, following a car accident two years prior.
Since then, he’s had a staggering 20 reconstructive surgeries and become the first-ever person to receive a face and double hand transplant.
Since announcing their engagement earlier this month and now in the midst of planning their December wedding, the haters have turned on Joe’s bride to be.
“I get a lot of hate online, at this point I feel like a punching bag,” explains Jessica, in an exclusive interview.
“People say I’m a gold digger, attention seeking, and call me fake.
“The disrespect is crazy especially – I’m a good person and do the right thing, trust me you want me on your side.”
Nurse Jessica met Joe, 26, in October 2021 eight months after his life-changing transplant.
In July 2018, Joe’s car hit a curb and caught fire as he drove home from his night shift as a food tester, leaving him with burns across 80% of his body.
The car hit a curb and utility pole, flipped over, and burst into flames. Another driver who saw the accident pulled over to rescue DiMeo.
Afterward, he spent months in a medically induced coma and underwent 20 reconstructive surgeries and multiple skin grafts to treat his extensive third-degree burns.
He first bonded with Jessica on Instagram, after she read about his story and messaged him.
Their relationship quickly blossomed as they bonded over their shared love for Boston Terrier dogs – and they now share Buster, six, and Kirkland, seven.
She says she was instantly taken by him.
“From our first phone call, Joe was special to me,” Jessica recalls.
“We talked every day on the phone, it was long distance for us at the beginning – with me based in Ohio and him based almost 600 miles away in New Jersey.
“I fell in love with him the first time I hugged him.
“Joe checks all the boxes for me.”
Jessica says she soon became aware of the cruel jibes Joe received about his appearance.
“Teenagers can be rude and remark ‘what’s wrong with his face’,” she says.
“Joe doesn’t care, but I wonder how people are raised so poorly.
“It bothers me, people need to be better than that. But I also remind myself they are likely projecting their jealousy when they say hateful things.
“I enjoy our online supporters tearing them down. But I will typically ignore the cowards that hide behind a fake profile.”
The couple announced their engagement days after the proposal with a stunning photo shoot and insist they couldn’t be happier about starting their “new chapter” together.
“After everything – from the transplant surgeries to the recovery – there’s this feeling of appreciation for the simple things,” Joe, who is based in Jersey, US, says.
“Planning this wedding is like the start of a new chapter.
“It’s a symbol of how far we’ve come together.”
Some of the cruellest remarks are just ignorant jokes, like comparing Joe to someone with a peanut allergy
Jessica Perez
The proposal was far from lavish but special and recalling the day he asked Jessica to marry him, Joe says:
“I popped the question before dinner.
“It was simple. We went to Peter Luger’s, a spot we both love.
“It was a low-key, intimate moment surrounded by people we care about, my parents. We’ve built such a strong bond, and it was just a natural next step for us.
“I wasn’t too nervous – it felt like something we were both ready for.”
Jessica says she “wasn’t surprised” as they had discussed marriage plans, but that it “didn’t make it any less special”.
She adds: “Everything just fell into place.”
Jessica says that while most of the the feedback they’ve had since their engagement has been positive, the trolling still hasn’t stopped.
She adds: “Unfortunately, the online bullying hasn’t completely gone away.
“Around 10% of the comments are still cruel and repetitive.
“It’s the same unoriginal insults, mostly targeting Joe’s appearance, and at times, I get attacked personally.
“Some of the cruellest remarks are just ignorant jokes, like comparing Joe to someone with a peanut allergy or bee stings, which only shows how uneducated people can be.
“We also get a lot of unsolicited medical advice, which I find frustrating, especially since I have a medical background myself.”
Jessica says that whilst she blocks out the hate most of the time, she sometimes tries to ‘educate’ instead.
“As for the hate, I ignore most of it. But every now and then, I respond with the goal of educating the bullies,” she says.
JOE’S INCREDIBLE SURGERY
It took a team of 140 surgeons, nurses and support staff at NYU Langone Health Centre in New York City to pull off the surgery in August 2020 – which had only been attempted twice before.
He underwent 20 reconstructive plastic surgeries and skin grafts before spending 23 hours in August 2020 having the pioneering surgery.
His donor was a stroke victim, 48, from Delaware, who died two days earlier.
For several weeks, Joe couldn’t move at all. But slowly, he managed to regain his muscle memory.
“It’s shocking when you see it’s a single father making fun of someone with a disability, so I might reply with something like, ‘Do better for your kids.’
“Sometimes it’s grown women attacking me, and I’ll respond the same way, encouraging them to do better.
“We’re all one accident away from a disability ourselves, and people should remember that.”
We’re building a life together that’s grounded in strength and resilience
Jessica Perez
As for wedding plans, the couple have set their sights on eloping and have decided to to head to Hawaii to tie the knot.
They’re planning an intimate day with just the two of them whilst family watch from afar.
Jessica says: “We originally planned to go to Oahu for my birthday, but we decided, why not get married while we’re there?
“It’s just going to be us and a live stream for our families, which makes sense since I’m from California and Joe’s from New Jersey.
“We wanted to make it easier on everyone, so doing it virtually felt like the right call.”
And Jessica says she will continue to ignore the criticism and focus on her future with Joe.
“We’re excited about the future – we’re building a life together that’s grounded in strength and resilience.
“At the heart of it, we just want to enjoy the moments we have together – that’s what matters most.”
