It's on to the next phase for Aimee Copeland. She's back home and plans to make a public appearance locally on Sept. 14.
The 24-year-old Snellville woman spent her first day at home Wednesday after leaving a rehab center where she has been recovering from a flesh-decaying infection that claimed her leg, foot and both hands.
"We had a really good day filled with fun and frivolity," said her father, Andy Copeland. Her first stop was to Longhorn Steakhouse for lunch with her father, mother Donna and sister Paige. She then relaxed at home with her sister while her parents went shopping.
That's a far cry from early May when the University of West Georgia graduate student contracted the necrotizing fasciitis infection after cutting her leg in a zip-lining accident. The deadly infection emits toxins that cut off blood flow, destroying muscles, fat and tissue. Early on, doctors gave Aimee Copeland a slim chance of surviving. She battled back. Her fight inspired national attention as Andy Copeland wrote emotional entries about her struggle in a blog.
Aimee Copeland settled into a new $200,000 two-story wing of her parents' home designed for her needs and donated by builder Pulte Homes. The wing includes a living room, bedroom, fitness room, sunroom, study, three outdoor areas and an elevator that was paid for using donations collected during a fundraiser the city of Snellville held in July. Aimee Copeland, who has not spoken in public during her ordeal, plans to make an appearance on the Snellville green Sept. 14 to say thanks to her many supporters, her father said.
"She's looking forward to it," he said. Aimee is determined to live as independently as possible, Andy Copeland said. She's been fitted for prosthetics for her right food and both hands. But Aimee Copeland prefers eating and drinking using a specialized cuff that fits on her arms, he added.
