Man from Russia has volunteered for first ever head transplant procedure

The world's first human head transplant could actually be attempted next year according to a recent CBSNews report.

The willing recipient on board is Valery Spiridonov, a 31-year-old Russian computer specialist who has Werdnig-Hoffmann disease which typically causes the body to deteriorate to the point of death.

Spiridonov talked to The Atlantic about the transplant, "Removing all the sick parts but the head would do a great job in my case. I couldn't see any other way to treat myself."

Also on board are two doctors—Sergio Canavero, a neurosurgeon from Italy who is spearheading the radical plan, and Xiaoping Ren, a Chinese surgeon who helped perform "...the first successful hand transplant."

According to Gizmodo, the team is now in need of a donor body from a brain-dead man as well as up to $100 million for funding.

Despite Canavero's prediction of a "90 percent plus" chance of success, other doctors have criticized the effort as being ethically questionable and "bad science," reports the Chicago Tribune.