A 34-year-old woman, whose nose was bitten off by her former husband, received a charity surgery to reconstruct her injured face yesterday.

Zhang Xiaorong said it was the best Valentine’s Day gift she could have had.

She is looking forward to reuniting with her two daughters, who are studying in Henan province, and to start a new life with them.

“The event gave me and my children such a big hurt and I am grateful for all the people who helped us,” she said.

Doctors said the five-hour-surgery went smoothly. “We rebuilt Zhang’s nose by using her own skin and cartilage to make the nose more natural. It is a challenging surgery,” said Jiang Hua, leading surgeon at Shanghai Elikeme Medical Cosmetology Hospital.

“She will have a small renovation surgery operation in about three weeks. If successful, she can live a normal life in about one month.”

Zhang, from Chongqing, divorced her husband Xu Xianglun last February after suffering long-term domestic violence. She left home, along with her daughters, to work in another province.

Her former husband asked Zhang to remarry him on July 8. When she refused, Zhang bit off her nose and swallowed it.

The event captured the nation’s attention. The case against her former husband is still ongoing, though the trial process has begun. No judgment has yet been made.