Flesh-eating disease victim Aimee Copeland continues to defy medical odds, according to her father.
Copeland was recently reported to have brushed her own teeth and fed herself only a few days after her hospital release.
Andy Copeland, Aimee’s father, wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday:
Just a quick note: Aimee fed herself today for the first time. She can also now brush her own teeth. How's that for only 4 full days of rehab? Yeah, I'm beaming from ear-to-ear right now. :-D
Copeland was released from the Doctors Hospital in Augusta, Ga. on July 2. She is expected to spend the rest of summer in a rehabilitation center, the location of which is unknown.
Her family has begun preparations for her return home by revamping their house to better fit Aimee’s needs. The Copelands are installing a bedroom, fitness room, sunroom and a study for their daughter. Local members of the community, touched by Aimee’s story, have reportedly volunteered their services.
Aimee’s release from the hospital comes after a tremendous recovery. In early May, she acquired the disease Necrotizing Fasciitis after sustaining a cut while on a homemade zipline. Doctors initially did not believe the 24-year-old would survive. In the fight for her life, she has lost her left leg, right foot, both hands and part of her torso, which she likened to a patch-work quilt after skin graft procedures.
However, Aimee’s body was resilient, and she has overcome the first struggle against this flesh-eating disease. Recent pictures reveal Aimee smiling and holding a doll as she left the hospital and entered phase two of her recovery.
The city of Snellville, Ga., where the Copeland family resides, raised over $16,000 for Aimee in a community fundraising event last month. The money will be presented to the family on in the hope that it will help alleviate some of Aimee’s medical costs.
In Andy Copeland’s most recent blog post, he acknowledged the hurdles still to come:
We now progress through the maze of rehabilitation, not knowing exactly what the cost of Aimee’s prosthetics will be. We have come to realize that $150,000 for prosthetics may have been a conservative estimate. Aimee will require a set of body-powered limbs and a set of myo-electric limbs. She will also require ongoing fittings for the ever-changing condition of her amputated limbs, which is required for continued comfort. I have pleaded with our insurance company to extend the coverage of prosthetics beyond the stingy annual sum of $50,000 that is allowed under our medical plan. Surely they realize that there are not a plethora of quad-amputees in existence and that Aimee’s extraordinary condition requires extraordinary care and coverage.
To donate to Aimee Copeland, visit http://aimeecopeland.com/donations/.
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