Flesh-eating bacteria victim Aimee Copeland speaks for first time since her hospitalization
May 30th, 2012 - 6:33 pm ICT by Aishwarya BhattGeorgia, May 30 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Aimee Copeland, the young woman whose left leg, right foot and both hands had to be amputated because of the effects of a flesh eating bacteria, spoke on Sunday for the first time since her ordeal.
Copeland is a University of West Georgia graduate. She developed necrotising fasciitis, which is a very rare condition, after she injured her leg in a freak accident. She fell from a zip line over a west Georgia river and Aeromonas hydrophila, a flesh-eating bacteria, took hold in the wound.
The graduate started breathing again on her own last week. Copeland no longer needs mechanical ventilation. A vegetarian, she is now eating soft solid food. Doctors at Carrollton emergency services closed the wound with almost 24 staples. Nevertheless, the wound became infected a few days later.
On May 4, after doctors realised that she was suffering necrotising fasciitis, she was transported to Augusta for special hospital treatment.
Aeromonas hydrophila is a flesh-eating bacteria that emits toxins, cutting off blood flow to different parts of the body, destroying skin tissue, fat and muscle.
Less than two weeks ago, doctors gave Copeland little chance of survival. After undergoing several surgical operations, she is now able to speak again. She will probably stay under hospital care for a few months.
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Tags: aeromonas hydrophila, aimee, blood flow, copeland, fasciitis, flesh eating bacteria, freak accident, hospitalization, left leg, little chance, mechanical ventilation, ordeal, rare condition, right foot, skin tissue, solid food, staples, surgical operations, west georgia, zip line