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Copeland said someone took the van from the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood in Atlanta. Her titanium wheelchair was in the trunk.

She told Thomas she was forced to ride 5 miles to work Monday morning in her motorized wheelchair.

Copeland contracted the flesh-eating bacteria in May 2012 after falling from a zip line and gashing her leg.

Doctors had to amputate both of Copeland’s hands, her left leg and right foot.

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Passengers wait at a Delta check-in counter at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. It was the first day the Federal Aviation Administration cut flight capacity at airports during the government shutdown. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com