Andy Copeland said doctors at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital helped his daughter Aimee into a chair, where she sat up for five hours. He wrote Thursday about Tuesday’s development on his Facebook page.
The 24-year-old developed necrotizing fasciitis after cutting her leg in a May 1 fall from a homemade zip line over a west Georgia river. Her left leg, other foot and both hands have been amputated.
Andy Copeland said he spoke with Aimee after surgeons removed her hands and “she just shrugged her shoulders and said ‘it’s OK,’ and she smiled.”
She's now able to breathe for a 24-hour period without assistance from a ventilator, her father said.
"Each breath is a victory," he said in Thursday's update. "Each heartbeat is a cause for celebration."
