Mother's Day was bittersweet this year for the parents of 24-year-old Aimee Copeland. According to physicians, the Snellville, Georgia, student who lost her leg in a battle with flesh-eating bacteria may lose more limbs.
According to a page hosted by the University of West Georgia Psychology Department -- where Aimee is a Master's student -- she will have to have her fingers amputated to keep the bacteria at bay. Despite the tragic news, supporters of Aimee continue to look for the positive.
"Aimee will suffer the loss of her fingers," reads the page's latest update. "However physicians have hope of bringing life back to the palms of her hands, which could allow her the muscle control to use helpful prosthetics.
The nightmare for Aimee and her family began after a somewhat minor accident two weeks ago, when Aimee fell from a homemade zip line over the Little Tallapoosa River in west Georgia. A small gash under her left knee turned out to be something much more, and within days she was fighting a case of necrotizing fasciitis that claimed her left leg and continues to threaten her vital organs. Last week, her heart briefly stopped, forcing doctors to resuscitate her, and she continues to breathe through a ventilator.
READ MORE: How common is the flesh-eating bacteria that is threatening Aimee Copeland's life?
Throughout the ordeal, her father, Andy Copeland, has kept concerned well-wishers informed on Aimee's condition through the UWG website. He and the rest of her family have decided on an "Aimee Day," an undetermined day in the future when Aimee is finally out of the woods and on to the healing part of her journey.
"She still has questions, basically the same questions that we have already answered," Andy Copeland wrote in his latest entry. "They are giving her medication to help her forget the stress she's under...This is good for her, but mildly frustrating for us. It frustrates me because I want her to be able to focus on what she can control, not on things she cannot control. I tell her not to worry, I tell her to concentrate on breathing, I ask her to pray and meditate on healing."
While Aimee fights bravely for her life, her friends, family, and even complete strangers who have been moved by Aimee's story are rallying around her. Last Friday, Aimee's friends held a fundraiser at the Blue Steakhouse, where Aimee used to work. They have also started a collection, called Aimee's Fund, which people can contribute to by mail. Additionally, Aimee's supporters urge those interested in helping to donate blood in her honor. "Aimee will get credited regardless as to the type you donate," a post on the UWG Psychology page reads. "And others will benefit too." The page also lists upcoming fundraisers to be held at the Sunnyside Cafe, where Aimee works. The fundraisers celebrate music and art, two things her family says Aimee loves.
There is also a Facebook page that keeps supporters abreast of the latest news in Aimee's life. "This is an amazing, intelligent young woman who is struggling for her life and to survive," the page reads. "She is a fighter and we know that she will not quit!"
As of now, Aimee communicates by mouthing words, and her parents told CNN that despite the dire circumstances, Aimee still carries the normal worries of any other twentysomething with a master's degree on the line, a job, and -- ultimately -- a lifetime of dreams to fulfill.
"We really don't see the suffering side of it, we see the miraculous survival," Andy Cohen told CNN's Starting Point. "She was really worried about her thesis... when we told her how long she's been at the hospital, her eyes just widened in horror, and she said, 'I've got to work on my thesis.'" It is a typical worry, but one that for the moment, seems too far off to comprehend. As Aimee continues to beat back her illness, against all odds, her family waits and hopes for "Aimee Day," the day when Aimee is finally able to work on getting her life back.
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