A horrible crash led to Robert Chelsea suffering extensive burn damage to his face.

In 2013, Chelsea pulled over for roadside assistance after his car overheated. While waiting for help, a drunk driver crashed into his vehicle, which exploded on impact. Chelsea suffered third-degree burns on over 50 percent of his body.

"While the burns covered much of my body, it was my face that suffered the worst visible damage," said the 67-year-old, who spent six months in a coma following the accident.

Now, Chelsea could make history by becoming the first African American man to receive a facial transplant, KTLA reports. After three years of undergoing tests and evaluations, Chelsea was deemed eligible for the operation.

"There is a relatively new medical procedure called 'facial transplantation' that can make my face whole again," he said. "Since 2005, only 41 people in the world have undergone this procedure. And with your help, I will become first African American in the country to receive this breakthrough surgery."

In order to pay for costs not paid by his insurance company and travel expenses to Boston (where he's having the surgery and will go for follow-up treatments), Chelsea launched a GoFundMe campaign. At the time of this posting, the GoFundMe campaign has raised over $43,000 of its $65,000 goal.

“One thing I want to do most of all, is kiss my daughter’s cheek,” Chelsea said. “That I have not been able to do.”

third-degree burns

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