Back in 2012, Aimee Copeland was a 24-year-old a grad-student at The University of Georgia.
That year, she decided to spend some time off with friends, enjoying the last few weeks before graduation.
One day, they decided to go on a trip to a small lake, where they could zipline over the water. The adventurous group immediately wanted to try it out.
What Aimee couldn’t have known was that that moment would change her life forever. A zipline consists of a long stretched wire that sits high up in the air, providing stunning views below. Generally, it is completely safe.
But when Aimee’s turn came something went completely wrong. The cable suddenly snapped and Aimee fell down toward a cliff… and lost her leg that day.
Aimee was taken to the hospital, but the tragedy didn’t stop there.
Doctors found that it was much worse. Flesh-eating bacteria had infected the wound, and the 24-year-old was facing possible death.
The fall caused a deep wound on her leg that became infected with a type of bacteria called Aeromonas hydrophila, which ultimately led to a life-threatening condition known as necrotizing fasciitis, commonly referred to as a flesh-eating disease.
After 11 surgeries and tough rehabilitation Aimee luckily succeeded and managed to cope with it – but she had to amputate both hands and legs.
