NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TO PREMIERE "KATIE'S NEW FACE: A FAMILY'S JOURNEY," EXCLUSIVE DOCUMENTARY SPECIAL BEHIND THE YOUNGEST FACE TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT IN THE U.S.

With Unprecedented Access, KATIE'S NEW FACE: A FAMILY'S JOURNEY, the Incredible Story of Groundbreaking Science, Human Identity and Hope, Coincides With National Geographic Magazine's September Cover Story, The Story of a Face

KATIE'S NEW FACE: A FAMILY'S JOURNEY Premieres This Saturday, August 25, at 9/8c on National Geographic

(WASHINGTON, D.C. - AUGUST 22 2018) In an exclusive television premiere event this Saturday, August 25, at 9/8c, National Geographic will debut KATIE'S NEW FACE: A FAMILY'S JOURNEY, the poignant story of the journey of Katie Stubblefield, the youngest face transplant recipient in the United States. In addition, National Geographic makes the full behind-the-scenes documentary available across platforms - including National Geographic's website and YouTube.

"I'm just very thankful to be alive," Katie Stubblefield notes in the documentary. "I get a second chance at life now."

With unprecedented access granted by the Stubblefield family and Cleveland Clinic (where Stubblefield received treatment), National Geographic has exclusively documented a young woman's journey like never before - from life before the transplant, into the operating room and through her recovery period following the transplant, including the heartfelt meeting between Stubblefield and the grandmother of Stubblefield 's donor.

A documentary about science, human identity and hope, KATIE'S NEW FACE: A FAMILY'S JOURNEY reveals the human story behind an incredible scientific and medical feat. The documentary premiere coincides with National Geographic magazine's September cover story, "The Story of a Face," which has received notable readership and global praise in its first week of publication. A shortened version of the documentary online has become National Geographic's most popular YouTube video of the year, with 5.8 million views and growing. The full-length documentary has nearly 2.6 million views on YouTube. The National Geographic magazine cover story online has more than 1.3 million global unique visitors and counting, making it the top online National Geographic story to date in 2018. National Geographic's "Story of a Face" Instagram story was the magazine's most successful ever in the @NatGeo account's history, with 82 million total impressions across 25 chapters. "The Story of a Face" is also National Geographic's most-viewed story on Apple News ever. The September issue of National Geographic magazine is available on newsstands August 28.