Nearly five years after being one of the first patients to receive a face transplant, 35-year-old Mitchell Hunter has recently stepped into the spotlight to describe his experience — from the start of his difficult journey to his current contented place in life — hoping to inspire those who may be in similar situations.

Over 15 years ago, in 2001, Hunter was involved in a car accident and managed to save a woman’s life, but was electrocuted with 10,000 volts of electricity for five minutes as a result. This cost him his face and his leg. Though he still relies on a prosthetic leg, in 2011 Hunter became the second patient to receive a full facial transplant in the U.S. After 14 hours of surgery, he received new eyelids, a nose, facial muscles, and nerves. Five years later, he’s speaking about it for the first time.

The first full face transplant occurred in 2010 in Spain, followed by a 2011 operation in Boston on Dallas Wiens, the first recipient in the U.S. Hunter was the second U.S. recipient of a full face transplant, and underwent an operation less than a month later by the same team of doctors. Perhaps most famous are face transplant recipients Charla Nash and Richard Norris, both of whom received transplants later and were able to regain a sense of normalcy in their lives similar to Hunter.

Many years after receiving the face transplant, Hunter believes he’s built character throughout the tough journey. “I look back on it as something that made me stronger,” he told CNN Indianapolis affiliate WISH in an interview. “I mean, yeah I would like to have my leg and my face back, but without that happening, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”

But he’s also happy with a handsome bearded face that can feel anything from an itch to a touch. “Hot, cold, pain, tickle, rubbing my beard, someone kissing my face — I can feel everything,” Hunter said. “It was amazing, just having sensation like that come back.”

For now, Hunter enjoys going to work every day and taking his son to the movies. “I feel just as healthy as I did when I was 21, and I feel great,” he continued. “It’s a lot easier going out in public. I don’t get the stares. I’m just another face in the crowd, and that’s all I ever wanted.”