Brenda Charett Jensen, 52, underwent a rare voice box transplant in October 2010 - only the second surgery of its kind performed in the U.S.A. She damaged her vocal cords more than a decade ago after she repeatedly pulled out her breathing tube while under sedation in the hospital. Before the transplant, Jensen “talked” with the help of a hand-held device that produces an electronic voice.

Brenda's voice box, windpipe and thyroid gland were replaced with that of a donor who died in an accident. The transplant was led by the University of California-Davis Medical Center. Two weeks after the transplant, Jensen voiced her first words: “Good morning” followed by “I wanna go home” and “You guys are amazing.” Doctors said that Jensen's voice was her own and not that of the donor.