It is one of those stories. One of those stories that if left to oral tradition, people would most certainly doubt the legitimacy of it as the years pass. They might simply consider it a parable for overcoming obstacles–or furrow a brow with disbelief upon hearing the whole of it.
The story is far from complete, in fact, it may just now be working towards a phenomenal peak. The story is of Aimee Copeland, who was well known to her inner circle of family and friends as an incredibly unique and capable soul. In less than two months, she has become an example of a definitive warrior, and an individual who is clearly interested in thriving, as opposed to surviving.
In early May I posted about a graduate student (Copeland) in the state of Georgia who had been enjoying some time on a local river with a group of friends. The group put up a zipline, and the line broke as Copeland was on it. The fall resulted in a deep gash in her calf–a gash that would require the use of several staples to close the wound. Not a major ordeal. Unfortunately, the wound contained a waterborne bacteria that resulted in the development of necrotizing facitis, most commonly referred to as flesh-eating bacteria.
What followed were numerous surgeries, a patient in life-threatening, critical condition, the amputation of a leg, a foot and eventually, an amputee who had to make the decision for herself that she’d allow the disease to take her hands as well; however, she refused to let the disease take her life. And far ahead of schedule–based on the initial thoughts of an incredibly skilled medical team–Aimee Copeland will go home, smiling, cognizant, aware and feeling “blessed,” not even two months after an afternoon fun turned into tragedy.
Just after the drama began, Aimee’s family organized a Facebook page. To say the least, the title of the page spurred a movement, and if the title of that page suggested a goal–it has easily been achieved. There are links from the page that will lead to the official site and blog written by Aimee’s father, who you can also enjoy in the interview below.
