Man Who Received Face of 47-Year-Old Donor Reveals Unshared Details About ‘Graphic’ Coma Dreams in New Book

In 2018, Joe DiMeo was in a car accident that burned 80 percent of his body, forever altering the trajectory of his life.

His medical journey spanned years and ultimately led to his historic face and double hand transplant. After the successful surgery, Joe regained his independence and his confidence. The 27-year-old also found love with his wife Jessica, built a following as a social media creator and most recently, he became a published author.

In Eighty Percent Gone, One Hundred Percent Strong: Rebuilt with Resilience, Joe tells his story in a new format, with new depth. He tells PEOPLE that the written format allowed him to be more detailed when describing his survival story, since there’s only so much he can share on TikTok due to the app’s rules and regulations.

“A lot of stuff I can’t say online. It’ll get flagged or the photos get taken down, and then there goes a lot of my story,” he reflects. “It’s like a double-edged sword. It’s nice to post my story and inspire people, but then I put all that work into it, and it just gets taken down.”

His book includes more details about the three-month-long coma he was in right after the accident, which he previously discussed in an episode of PEOPLE’s “I Survived” YouTube series. Joe says he found ways to discuss some of his more “graphic” coma dreams, like his harrowing visions of being tortured.

He also dives into some deeper, more emotional topics about his childhood and upbringing and how those experiences made him so characteristically resilient. “I never said that online,” he notes. “I never thought I’d put that on paper.”

Joe credits his ghostwriter for helping him open up like never before. He says it took some time to find the right person to help tell his story, but once he did, the ghostwriter became an asset in the drafting process.

“I needed a lot of guidance, because I did try writing it on my own at first, but then the typical ego in me, the guy ego was like, ‘I don’t want that on paper, that’s my feelings,'” Joe admits. “That was the big turning point, getting the ghostwriter to help get the feelings and say, ‘Don’t delete that. Leave it there.'”

Between his social media content, motivational speaking career and now his book, Joe continues to be motivated by his hope to inspire others. He maintains his hope that no matter one’s own situation, they can look to him and his story and find the strength to keep going.

“I was sad, but never … had any ‘I wish it hadn’t happened to me’ moments, just because I accepted it and moved on. It is hard to accept, but you have to move on from a traumatic experience,” he says. “You do have to accept it in order to move on, because it’s just going to follow you around.”

With this latest accomplishment, Joe isn’t just inspiring people who have lived through massive, life-changing traumas. He can also serve as an example for those who doubt their ability to do something as big as write a book.

“Growing up, I used to ditch writing class,” he adds. “Now I can say I’m an author, which is pretty cool.”

In 2018, Joe DiMeo was in a car accident that burned 80 percent of his body, forever altering the trajectory of his life.

His medical journey spanned years and ultimately led to his historic face and double hand transplant. After the successful surgery, Joe regained his independence and his confidence. The 27-year-old also found love with his wife Jessica, built a following as a social media creator and most recently, he became a published author.

In Eighty Percent Gone, One Hundred Percent Strong: Rebuilt with Resilience, Joe tells his story in a new format, with new depth. He tells PEOPLE that the written format allowed him to be more detailed when describing his survival story, since there’s only so much he can share on TikTok due to the app’s rules and regulations.

“A lot of stuff I can’t say online. It’ll get flagged or the photos get taken down, and then there goes a lot of my story,” he reflects. “It’s like a double-edged sword. It’s nice to post my story and inspire people, but then I put all that work into it, and it just gets taken down.”

His book includes more details about the three-month-long coma he was in right after the accident, which he previously discussed in an episode of PEOPLE’s “I Survived” YouTube series. Joe says he found ways to discuss some of his more “graphic” coma dreams, like his harrowing visions of being tortured.

He also dives into some deeper, more emotional topics about his childhood and upbringing and how those experiences made him so characteristically resilient. “I never said that online,” he notes. “I never thought I’d put that on paper.”

Joe credits his ghostwriter for helping him open up like never before. He says it took some time to find the right person to help tell his story, but once he did, the ghostwriter became an asset in the drafting process.

“I needed a lot of guidance, because I did try writing it on my own at first, but then the typical ego in me, the guy ego was like, ‘I don’t want that on paper, that’s my feelings,'” Joe admits. “That was the big turning point, getting the ghostwriter to help get the feelings and say, ‘Don’t delete that. Leave it there.'”

Between his social media content, motivational speaking career and now his book, Joe continues to be motivated by his hope to inspire others. He maintains his hope that no matter one’s own situation, they can look to him and his story and find the strength to keep going.

“I was sad, but never … had any ‘I wish it hadn’t happened to me’ moments, just because I accepted it and moved on. It is hard to accept, but you have to move on from a traumatic experience,” he says. “You do have to accept it in order to move on, because it’s just going to follow you around.”

With this latest accomplishment, Joe isn’t just inspiring people who have lived through massive, life-changing traumas. He can also serve as an example for those who doubt their ability to do something as big as write a book.

“Growing up, I used to ditch writing class,” he adds. “Now I can say I’m an author, which is pretty cool.”