‘There is so much beauty in our flaws’: Girl who lost four limbs to flesh-eating bug posts an inspiring bikini snap
Aimee Copeland had her hands and legs amputated picking up the deadly bug in 2012
A WOMAN who lost a leg and both hands to a flesh-eating bug has posted brave bikini pictures.
Aimee Copeland defied the odds to survive the crippling bug in 2012, but doctors had to amputate her left leg, right foot and both of her hands.
Now the 28-year-old has posted the bikini picture with an inspiring message on Facebook.
She wrote: “It has taken me a long time to become comfortable with and accept my new body.
“We are ALL made of imperfections and there is so much beauty in our flaws. The scars and skin grafting build character."
She added: “It's not about what you have – what you do with what you have is what really counts.”
Aimee, from Georgia, shared a photo of herself in a bikini while taking a break in Puerto Rico.
She contracted the deadly bug necrotizing fasciitis after an accident on a homemade zipwire in Little Tallapoosa River, Georgia.
The line snapped and she crashed to the rocks below, leaving her with a huge gash which became infected with the bug.
Three days later, Aimee woke up with blood blisters, and overnight, her left leg had rotted to her thigh and she couldn't speak.
"My tongue was all shrivelled up like a lizard tongue," she told People magazine. "My boyfriend immediately threw me over his shoulder, threw put me in the car and drove me to the emergency room."
Her website explains: “What began as a beautiful time in nature with friends turned tragic when Aimee encountered an equipment malfunction while playing on a homemade zip line.
“Her fall set the stage for the development of necrotizing fasciitis which led to amputations and the failure of her five major organs.”
Aimee underwent multiple surgeries, and completed physical therapy and rehabilitation.
Although she split with her boyfriend in 2014, she has now found new love with a 29-year-old called Stephen.
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Last month she achieved a second master’s degree, in social work, and has dedicated her life to advocacy work and motivational speaking.
She said: "My self-confidence has never been higher.
"I've let go of the girl I was before. I've completely embraced who I am."
The post was shared over 1,400 times and social media users praised her bravery in 700 comments.
One wrote: “Absolutely got to be the most beautiful person on the beach! If we all had your spirit and your heart, the world would be a much better place!”
Another added: “You are beautiful ! It radiates from you not only on the outside but from within!”
