THE Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, has revealed that he broke every bone in his face other than his lower jaw when a taxi wherein he was travelling in London made an emergency stop (News, 4 October 2024).
Late last September, he was rushed to St Thomas’ Hospital, in Lambeth, after which moved to King’s College Hospital, in Denmark Hill, where he was treated by the specialist maxillofacial-trauma team.
Bishop Chessun told BBC London on Tuesday: “I had no face after the accident. The injuries were extensive. I wasn’t aware of them on the time. I used to be just aware of my face crumbling.”
The head of the team on the night of his accident was Professor Kathy Fan, who told him that the airbag had protected his skull, brain, and neck.
Professor Fan said that Bishop Chessun’s “entire upper jaw was hanging loose”, his left cheekbone had dropped, and each of his eye sockets were damaged.
In an eight-hour operation, Professor Fan and her team inserted seven titanium plates to rebuild the Bishop’s face.
She told the BBC: “I even have a reasonably amazing job. I at all times think it’s an actual privilege to work on people’s faces: people trust us. Our face is our identity — people take a look at us and make judgement about us; so it’s essential to recreate someone’s identity.”
With his face held together by pins and plates, Bishop Chessun returned to work at Christmas, three months after the accident. Nine months later, he is almost fully recovered.
When reflecting on his accident, he said: “I feel it made me look very in another way at life. . . at what really matters. . . the importance of 1’s health and well-being, not taking it as a right. . . and to value each moment. . .
“People take a look at your face — that is how they make contact with you; so your facial identity is a vital a part of things.
“I feel that sense of being supported by the prayers of those in my diocese, those that knew me, those that cared for me, made an unlimited difference — I feel, not simply to morale, but to confidence and sense of well-being. I had an underlying feeling that each one can be well.”
