Monday, May 21, 2012

ATLANTA (AP) -- The father of a Georgia woman fighting a flesh-eating disease says his daughter is now able to breathe on her own, a milestone that sent the family's spirits soaring.

Aimee Copeland is now focused on taking each breath without the aid of a ventilator, which will help her lungs recover, her father Andy Copeland said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press.

Andy Copeland said her hands were amputated Thursday because they'd turned into purple "poison bags." But he said she's maintained her positive outlook since the amputations. By reading her lips, they heard her mouth the words, "the power of love is undeniable."

Aimee developed a rare condition, necrotizing fasciitis, after cutting her leg in a May 1 fall from a homemade zip line over a river.

(Copyright 2012, The Associated Press)