The University of Georgia held a blood drive for Aimee Copeland on Wednesday, June 13, 2012.
Aimee CopelandATHENS, Ga. -
University of Georgia students and the Athens community rolled up their sleeves today to donate blood in honor of a graduate battling flesh-eating bacteria.
Aimee Copeland has lost both hands, a leg and a foot since contracting the bacteria following a zip line accident. The 24-year-old has recently shown signs of improvement. On Tuesday, doctors upgraded Aimee's condition to serious.
While Copeland is being treated at a hospital in Augusta, her former classmates at the University of Georgia sponsored a blood drive in her honor on Wednesday.
Copeland graduated from UGA in 2010 and is a graduate student at the University of West Georgia. Her former classmates and supporters teamed up with the American Red Cross to show their support for Aimee.
Organizers said they expected 175 people to come out and donate blood for Copeland.
"We just hope that a lot of people come out to show that Aimee's alma mater supports her by sharing the gift of life," said Janet Jarrett of the American Red Cross.
Jarrett said that Aimee has received more than 200 units of red blood cells and plasma since her accident.
Athens resident Shekilia Bradley says she was so touched by Copeland's story that she decided to donate blood for the first time ever at the drive.
"If she can have good spirits in all that she's going through, I thought ‘Hey, I can give blood,'" said Bradley.
Aimee Copeland's sister, Paige, said she loves hearing stories like Bradley's.
"Aimee's doing really well. She has been really positive. She's just keeping her chin up. She's still cracking us up with all of her crazy jokes and stuff like that. She's excited to get out of there and get out of the hospital. She keeps saying, ‘Can I go with y'all,'" said Paige Copeland.
Paige said her sister will never give up.
"She really wants to go outside. She has a window in her ICU room and she keeps looking out the window and she's like, ‘I want to go outside so bad,'" said Paige.
Jarrett says Aimee's father, Andy Copeland, notified her through an email that he could not make Wednesday's blood drive but did express his encouragement.
According to Jarrett, it was Andy who initiated the competition between the University of South Carolina and the University of Georgia. She says Andy Copeland graduated from USC and his daughters graduated from UGA. He thought it would be a positive way to raise awareness for the urgent need for blood.
"We like to beat South Carolina in everything we can – even a blood drive," said one donor..
USC held their blood drive last week.
The UGA blood drive runs until 7 p.m. in Reed Hall. Blood donors have the chance to sign a card for Copeland, which the Red Cross will mail to her family.
The UGA Alumni Association has challenged all alumni nationwide to donate blood in Copeland's honor at any Red Cross donation center until Friday.
Snellville, Aimee's hometown, is holding a two-day fundraiser for her this weekend. For more information about that and other fundraisers, visit: http://aimeecopeland.com/fundraisers/
