Valery Spiridinov, a 31-year-old Russian man to undergo the world's first head transplant, acknowledged on June 21 that his dream will not come true as planned this year.

Valery suffers from Werdnig-Hoffman, a muscle-wasting disease that seriously diminishes his physical capabilities and left him dependent on a wheelchair.

Italian neuroscientist Dr Sergio Canavero claimed in 2015 that he could complete the unprecedented procedure by the end of 2017, but they failed to secure enough financial support in Russia for the research and transplant.

Although he cannot work with Canavero on completing the transplant, at least for now, Valery said he is still confident about his future. He is raising money on Generosity, an online crowd-funding platform, to undergo a traditional spinal operation, which can greatly improve his physical condition.

In addition, he disclosed that he will soon marry a woman and will continue his scientific research in the future, holding the belief that everything is changing for the better.