Flesh-eating bacteria victim on amputations: 'Let's do this'

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AUGUSTA, Ga., May 18 (UPI) -- A 24-year-old Georgia student is set to lose her remaining foot and both hands to a flesh-eating infection, but her family says she is shedding no tears.

Aimee Copeland instead said, "Let's do this."

Copeland was injured May 1 riding a zip line. The line ripped open her calf, which was contaminated by the flesh-eating infection, ABC News reported. She now breathes through a tracheostomy, a tube inserted into her wind pipe.

She lost her left leg two weeks ago.

Though the young woman seemed to be on the way to recovery, her hands and remaining foot, her right, will be amputated to prevent the infection from spreading into her blood, her father Andy Copeland said.

"We had to do what is necessary to save Aimee's life," her father said on his blog Thursday.

"We told her that the world loved and admired her. We explained that she had become a symbol of hope, love and faith," Copeland said. "Aimee's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She was amazed."

After his daughter's words telling doctors to go ahead, ABC said, Andy Copeland wrote: "I wasn't crying because Aimee was going to lose her hands and foot. I was crying because in all my 53 years of existence, I have never seen such a strong display of courage. I was crying because I am a proud father of an incredibly courageous young lady."