Imagine your life drastically changing overnight. For 24-year-old Aimee Copeland, the unthinkable happened. On May 1, Copeland and two friends decided to go to Little Tallapoosa River for an afternoon swim. Little did Copeland realize that a day spent at the river would turn to tragedy.
As the girls swam, Copeland discovered a homemade zip line suspended from the trees above. When Copeland ran the line for the second time, the wire snapped causing the 24-year-old to tumble into the sharp rocks down below. A deep, crescent-shaped gash was visibly left on Copeland's left calf.
"It was the worst I'd ever been cut," said Copeland. "A lot of blood was gushing out, and a lot of dirt and water coming in." Copeland realized she needed immediate medical attention due to the fact she couldn't walk. Doctors cleaned her wound and gave her 22 surgical staples and sent her home no questions asked. Copeland, however, knew something was wrong.
She shortly became disoriented and over the next few days starting feeling pain in her upper thigh. "I woke up and my entire left leg had rotted [overnight]," said Copeland. Within a few days, she began losing control of her bowels and couldn't speak. She returned to the hospital and doctors diagnosed her with necrotizing fasciitis: a flesh-eating bacteria that is found in warm, brackish waters.
Doctors, however, were able to save Copeland's life but had to do so by amputating all four of her limbs. Both of her arms below the elbow, her right leg below the knee, and her left leg almost to her hip.
In an exclusive interview with People, Copeland opens up about her journey. At 28, Copeland completely embraces her new self. "I knew I was going to fight for my life, and I wasn't going to let anything hold me back," said Copeland. After 20 surgeries and two months in the hospital, Copeland left the hospital to attend the Shepard Center for rehab.
Copeland remembers it was a dark time where all she could do was cry about how she would have to relearn basic tasks like learning to feed herself and brush her teeth. Besides learning basic tasks, her three-year relationship with her current boyfriend was starting to crumble. She became depressed realizing she'd lost the person she thought she was going to be for the rest of her life.
It was this breakup that made Copeland realize "This was the new me." Through the support of family and friends, Copeland could not be happier. She's found new love, moved into in her own home and planning to pursue a career in ecopsychology.
If you want to read more about Aimee Copeland's inspiring story you can head to People.com or pick up a hard-copy.
