Aimee Copeland is proud of her new body — and she wants everyone to know it.
On Monday, Copeland — the Gwinnett native who made national headlines after contracting a flesh-eating bacteria in 2012 — posted a photo on Facebook showing herself in a bathing suit, her scars and amputations on full display. It was meant to inspire.
By Tuesday morning, more than 5,000 people had liked the post.
"It has taken me a long time to become comfortable with and accept my new body," she wrote, apparently while vacationing in Puerto Rico. "We are ALL made with imperfections and there is so much beauty in our flaws. The scars and skin grafting build character! It's not about what you have — what you do with what you have is what really counts."
Copeland was attending the University of West Georgia when, on May 1, 2012, she fell from a zipline running over the Little Tallapoosa River. Her left leg was gashed and left susceptible to necrotizing fasciitis, which threatened her life and led to amputations of both hands, her left leg and her right foot.
Since then, she's completed Master's degrees in humanistic psychology and social work. She's also become an advocate for people with disabilities, and recently posted on Facebook that she's writing a memoir — the proceeds of which "will go toward my dream of creating a nonprofit community growth center for people of all ages and abilities."
Last month, Copeland delivered an inspiring commencement address at Georgia Gwinnett College.
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