Aimee Copeland was a twenty-four-year-old graduate student at The University of Georgia in 2012.
She made the decision to take a break with friends that year and enjoy the final few weeks before graduation.
They made the decision to visit a little lake one day so they could zipline over the water. The daring gang decided to give it a try right away.
Aimee had no idea how drastically her life would alter in that instant. A zipline is a long, stretched wire that is suspended high above the ground and offers breathtaking views of the scenery below. In most cases, it is totally secure.
However, when it was Aimee’s turn, everything went horribly wrong. Suddenly, the wire broke, sending Aimee plummeting into a precipice. and on that day lost her leg.
After Aimee was brought to the hospital, the horror continued.
As the doctors discovered, it was even worse. The 24-year-old was in danger of dying because the wound was infected with bacteria that consume flesh.
She suffered a severe leg wound from the fall, which later developed into a potentially fatal necrotizing fasciitis, also known as a flesh-eating illness, due to an infection with the bacteria Aeromonas hydrophila.
Aimee was fortunate enough to recover and cope after 11 operations and a difficult rehabilitation process, but she had to amputate both of her hands and legs.
Four years after the disaster, Aimee gradually adjusted to her new existence, and hundreds of others were inspired by the warrior’s image that was becoming viral on social media.
Aimee is there, boldly displaying her body in a bikini on the beach, complete with scars and missing limbs.
It has taken her a while to accept and feel at ease with her new physique, she writes. Every one of us is flawed, and our defects are incredibly beautiful. Character is developed by the skin grafts and scars! What matters most is what you do with what you have; possessions are not as important as actions.
As a disability rights and amputee champion in 2023, Aimee Copeland never stops inspiring people with her social media posts and public speaking engagements.
Aimee is working toward a PhD in psychology at the University of West Georgia in addition to her advocacy activities.
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Aimee, you are such a strong and brave woman! You truly are an inspiration to all of us. If you think Aimee is really brave, please tell your friends and family about her story on Facebook today.