The hope is that she will soon gain her independence back with prosthetics, learning to drive and finishing her thesis for her psychology degree. The 24-year-old UWG graduate student, Aimee Copeland is still in the process of healing from her traumatic injury she sustained this past May after falling from a homemade zip line. On Sept. 13, her father Andy Copeland posted a new blog entry. “She has to learn to drive. She has to complete her thesis, which she cannot do until she learns to drive, simply because she has a lot of field research to do.”
Copeland has already been fitted for her prosthetic on her right leg and on Sept. 11, she showed her strength and overall strong spirit to the world when she walked across the stage on the Katie Couric Show. Throughout the show, Copeland displayed her appreciation for life and not taking this world and all of its beauty for granted. When Couric asked Copeland if there was ever a moment in which she thought she could not do this, Aimee responded with an immediate no. “That was never really an option to me because I love life, you know. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s something that I don’t take for granted anymore,” said Copeland.
With the help from Couric, Copeland’s desire to relearn how to drive is now going to be a reality. Steve Raymond, the owner of Steve Raymond Chevrolet in Atlanta has been following Copeland’s story from the beginning and expressed his desire to help by reaching out to the Katie Couric Show. Thanks to Raymond, Copeland is now the proud owner of a brand new retrofitted mini-van. When asked why he wanted to help Copeland in such a big way, Raymond responded, “I just wanted her to be a 24-year-old kid just like every other 24-year-old kid. She’s just so amazing.”
Although Copeland is still in the healing process and has many challenges to overcome in performing daily tasks, her beautiful spirit and courageous attitude are undeniable. She serves as a strong example of how the belief in oneself to overcome an overwhelming situation is possible. Her father believes she has much more to offer the world and that God has a plan for her life. “I think it is important to know that she is a child of God. I firmly believe that she is a living testimony to the power of prayer and the greatness of a merciful God. I think we will all one day understand why God chose Aimee to survive the impossible,” said Copeland’s father.
On Sept. 22, an all day “Biker Rally” fundraising event will take place at The Mill amphitheatre in Villa Rica. The event will kick off with a 63-mile bike ride throughout Carroll County. People will have the chance to meet Copeland, as she plans to attend the event from 4 to 8 p.m.
