Gainesville - He has a 'miracle' baby son as well.
Published: Wed 19 Dec 2018, 3:26 PM
Updated: Wed 19 Dec 2018, 5:42 PM
Valery Spiridonov, 33, was set for the world's first head transplant until he met the love of his life and cancelled the landmark surgery.
Spiridonov and his partner Anastasia Panfilova had a 'miracle' baby son born six weeks ago, after which he changed his mind.
Spiridonov had volunteered to have his neck severed by Professor Sergio Canavero, dubbed 'Dr Frankenstein' and have his head reattached to a new, healthy body.
He worked for two years with Dr Canavero for that purpose but has now moved to America where he is studying computer analysis of emotions at the University of Florida.
"We lived in the same city, and often met on professional matters and soon realised that we felt really good together. She has several degrees.
"We got married a little over one year ago in Moscow," Spiridonov said while talking about his partner Anastasia.
Spiridonov suffers from Werdnig-Hoffman disease, a form of spinal muscular atrophy often leading to low life expectancy.
"I understood that it was a great risk, that it had never been done before. But what did I have to lose? I could not lose just a tiny chance to walk normally," Mirror.uk quoted Spiridonov as saying in Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda.
His bride Anastasia, who has a masters degree in chemical technology and previously studied in Italy, revealed why she fell for Spiridonov.
Explaining online her love of men in wheelchairs, Anastasia said, "Such people [in wheelchairs] are much deeper, feeling, faithful, kind-hearted, and also they are usually very smart. isn't that the main thing?"
While Spiridonov, who is happy with his new life, claimed there is a lack of information from Dr Canavero on his experimental work in China. "I do not regret it that Canavero did not reach the final goal - or did reach it, and failed. This was just a normal working process," Spiridonov said.
He added, "The only thing we lack from him is more publicity. Everybody would have benefited from information what went wrong in China and why. I do hope Canavero will publish it in detail one day."
Spiridonov has designed a "smart" wheelchair operated by voice and is working on consultancy projects. "I feel a weight lifted off my chest. I never had a vain motive to become the first. I gave two years of my life to this project. I will be glad to see it happening [with someone else]. I am deeply grateful to Canavero. Thanks to our joint efforts, a lot is changing for the better, and for me too," Spiridonov concluded.