'Let's do this': Aimee Copeland did not cry when her father told her she would have to have her remaining foot and fingers amputated . A young U.S. woman fighting a rare flesh-eating infection has been bravely looking at her ravaged hands without shedding any tears, her father said. Georgia graduate Aimee Copeland still doesn't know that doctors plan to amputate all her fingers, just as they had to remove most of her left leg, in order to save her life. 'Her fingers are basically mummified. The flesh is dead,' her father, Andy Copeland, said in a phone interview from Doctors Hospital in Augusta. He said she held one of her hands close to her face yesterday and asked family members about their condition. Mr Copeland told her: 'Your hands have been damaged... and we're trying to bring back as much of the life into the hands as possible.' He said she was 'well accepting' and that she responded with 'no tears or anything.' The 24-year-old student from an Atlanta suburb remains in a critical condition as she battles an infection called necrotizing fasciitis. Doctors initially feared they might have to remove her remaining foot and both hands. But her father said she now faces losing only her fingers after two days of treatment using a hyperbaric chamber, in which patients breathe pure oxygen to boost white blood cells and accelerate healing. Flesh on her palms that had been purple was turning pink again, he said. Copeland's father said she was still unaware of plans to amputate her fingers, an emotional disclosure that will likely require a counselor's help. Traumatic: The 24-year-old student from an Atlanta suburb remains in a critical condition as she battles an infection called necrotizing fasciitis . 'We don't know if she's aware of her (amputated) leg yet,' he said. 'We're in a don't ask, don't tell policy.' Copeland contracted the infection days after she suffered a deep cut on May 1 in a fall when a zip line snapped over rocks in the Little Tallapoosa River near the University of West Georgia, where she studies psychology. The flesh-eating bacteria, Aeromonas hydrophila, emit toxins that cut off blood flow to parts of the body. The affliction can destroy muscle, fat and skin tissue. Only a week ago, doctors gave her little chance of survival. But in recent days she has been alert and bored enough to have asked for a book to read. Distraught: Paige Copeland, center, cries as her parents Donna and Andy Copeland speak about their daughter Aimee after she had her leg amputated . Doctors had to amputate most of Miss Copeland's left leg to save her life, and her father has said she'll likely lose her fingers too. She has been unable to speak because of her breathing tube in he throat, but her parents said they've learned to read lips and are now able to communicate with their daughter, who was also asking for ice-cream. 'This doctor can't fathom a reason for why she's improved the way she has,' Mr Copeland said earlier this week. 'Her spirits are extraordinarily high. I am absolutely amazed.' Cherished: Miss Copeland, a 24-year-old graduate from Georgia, has fun with friends . He said his daughter seems aware that she's in the hospital after an accident. But for now, they're sparing her the details of her condition until after she has been removed from a respirator and is breathing on her own. He said the family also wanted to make sure a hospital counselor was available to help Copeland once she is informed of her condition. Losing a limb is extremely difficult emotionally, and can be particularly difficult for young people, said Dr. Nadine Kaslow, chief psychologist at Grady Hospital in Atlanta. 'There is a process that they go through, a grief process,' said Kaslow, who is not involved in Miss Copeland's care. 'There is shock, disbelief, anger, sadness and then a period of reconciling one to the situation and healing and figuring out how they are going to move forward in their life.' Prayers: Aimee Copeland's father says he is amazed by his daughter's attitude as she progresses . Doctors at the local emergency room in Carrollton closed the wound she suffered in the zip line accident with nearly two dozen staples, but it became infected within days. On May 4, she was diagnosed with the rare infection and flown 200 miles to Augusta for treatment by specialists at Doctors Hospital. Copeland's father said she faces a long recovery not just from her amputation but also from kidney failure and other organ damage caused by the infection. 'She's going to be here for months,' he said. 'She's going to need to regrow skin that was removed. She's going to need to learn to use prosthetics. She's going to still be on dialysis for a while.' Much-loved: Aimee's friends and family are praying for her survival and eventual recovery (from left - Aimee, mother Donna, father Andy and sister Paige) Some news reports have said Miss Copeland was recently diagnosed with lupus, a chronic disease that compromises the immune system, but her father said that was not true. Andy Copeland said his daughter had sought treatment for a skin rash. Doctors initially feared it might be a symptom of lupus, but tests revealed Copeland had a food allergy. 'She was a vegetarian and she had a soy-based diet,' Copeland's father said. 'And it turned out she was allergic to soy.' More than 50 people lined up in the first hour for a blood drive earlier this week at the gymnasium at the University of West Georgia, where Copeland attends school 200 miles from the Augusta hospital. Some students walked to the blood drive, while others drove from other parts of the state. Kara Dermo, a chemistry student who worked with Copeland at the Sunnyside Cafe, was one of the first in line. She was among the friends invited to try the zip line that sent Copeland plunging to the rocky river, but declined. Dermo said Copeland's illness has been weighing on the minds of people on campus. Even the slightest amount of good news has been enough to raise the hopes of fellow students. 'It's very close to home. It makes you realize anything could happen at any time,' Miss Dermo said. Fun loving: Aimee's father, Andy, says describes her as 'outdoorsy' and a 'lover of people'
Aimee Copeland, 24, looked at her hands without any tears, says father .
Graduate infected with killer bug through deep cut in zip line accident .
Doctors removed most of her left leg to save her life, but is still critical .
She's not yet aware of further life-saving plans to amputate all her fingers .
'Let's do this': Aimee Copeland did not cry when her father told her she would have to have her remaining foot and fingers amputated . A young U.S. woman fighting a rare flesh-eating infection has been bravely looking at her ravaged hands without shedding any tears, her father said. Georgia graduate Aimee Copeland still doesn't know that doctors plan to amputate all her fingers, just as they had to remove most of her left leg, in order to save her life. 'Her fingers are basically mummified. The flesh is dead,' her father, Andy Copeland, said in a phone interview from Doctors Hospital in Augusta. He said she held one of her hands close to her face yesterday and asked family members about their condition. Mr Copeland told her: 'Your hands have been damaged... and we're trying to bring back as much of the life into the hands as possible.' He said she was 'well accepting' and that she responded with 'no tears or anything.' The 24-year-old student from an Atlanta suburb remains in a critical condition as she battles an infection called necrotizing fasciitis. Doctors initially feared they might have to remove her remaining foot and both hands. But her father said she now faces losing only her fingers after two days of treatment using a hyperbaric chamber, in which patients breathe pure oxygen to boost white blood cells and accelerate healing. Flesh on her palms that had been purple was turning pink again, he said. Copeland's father said she was still unaware of plans to amputate her fingers, an emotional disclosure that will likely require a counselor's help. Traumatic: The 24-year-old student from an Atlanta suburb remains in a critical condition as she battles an infection called necrotizing fasciitis . 'We don't know if she's aware of her (amputated) leg yet,' he said. 'We're in a don't ask, don't tell policy.' Copeland contracted the infection days after she suffered a deep cut on May 1 in a fall when a zip line snapped over rocks in the Little Tallapoosa River near the University of West Georgia, where she studies psychology. The flesh-eating bacteria, Aeromonas hydrophila, emit toxins that cut off blood flow to parts of the body. The affliction can destroy muscle, fat and skin tissue. Only a week ago, doctors gave her little chance of survival. But in recent days she has been alert and bored enough to have asked for a book to read. Distraught: Paige Copeland, center, cries as her parents Donna and Andy Copeland speak about their daughter Aimee after she had her leg amputated . Doctors had to amputate most of Miss Copeland's left leg to save her life, and her father has said she'll likely lose her fingers too. She has been unable to speak because of her breathing tube in he throat, but her parents said they've learned to read lips and are now able to communicate with their daughter, who was also asking for ice-cream. 'This doctor can't fathom a reason for why she's improved the way she has,' Mr Copeland said earlier this week. 'Her spirits are extraordinarily high. I am absolutely amazed.' Cherished: Miss Copeland, a 24-year-old graduate from Georgia, has fun with friends . He said his daughter seems aware that she's in the hospital after an accident. But for now, they're sparing her the details of her condition until after she has been removed from a respirator and is breathing on her own. He said the family also wanted to make sure a hospital counselor was available to help Copeland once she is informed of her condition. Losing a limb is extremely difficult emotionally, and can be particularly difficult for young people, said Dr. Nadine Kaslow, chief psychologist at Grady Hospital in Atlanta. 'There is a process that they go through, a grief process,' said Kaslow, who is not involved in Miss Copeland's care. 'There is shock, disbelief, anger, sadness and then a period of reconciling one to the situation and healing and figuring out how they are going to move forward in their life.' Prayers: Aimee Copeland's father says he is amazed by his daughter's attitude as she progresses . Doctors at the local emergency room in Carrollton closed the wound she suffered in the zip line accident with nearly two dozen staples, but it became infected within days. On May 4, she was diagnosed with the rare infection and flown 200 miles to Augusta for treatment by specialists at Doctors Hospital. Copeland's father said she faces a long recovery not just from her amputation but also from kidney failure and other organ damage caused by the infection. 'She's going to be here for months,' he said. 'She's going to need to regrow skin that was removed. She's going to need to learn to use prosthetics. She's going to still be on dialysis for a while.' Much-loved: Aimee's friends and family are praying for her survival and eventual recovery (from left - Aimee, mother Donna, father Andy and sister Paige) Some news reports have said Miss Copeland was recently diagnosed with lupus, a chronic disease that compromises the immune system, but her father said that was not true. Andy Copeland said his daughter had sought treatment for a skin rash. Doctors initially feared it might be a symptom of lupus, but tests revealed Copeland had a food allergy. 'She was a vegetarian and she had a soy-based diet,' Copeland's father said. 'And it turned out she was allergic to soy.' More than 50 people lined up in the first hour for a blood drive earlier this week at the gymnasium at the University of West Georgia, where Copeland attends school 200 miles from the Augusta hospital. Some students walked to the blood drive, while others drove from other parts of the state. Kara Dermo, a chemistry student who worked with Copeland at the Sunnyside Cafe, was one of the first in line. She was among the friends invited to try the zip line that sent Copeland plunging to the rocky river, but declined. Dermo said Copeland's illness has been weighing on the minds of people on campus. Even the slightest amount of good news has been enough to raise the hopes of fellow students. 'It's very close to home. It makes you realize anything could happen at any time,' Miss Dermo said. Fun loving: Aimee's father, Andy, says describes her as 'outdoorsy' and a 'lover of people'
without shedding any tears, her father said. Georgia graduate Aimee Copeland still doesn't know that doctors plan to amputate all her unaware of plans to amputate her fingers, an she's aware of her (amputated) leg yet,' he said. her leg amputated . Doctors had to amputate most of Miss Copeland's left leg to save her life, and the wound she suffered in the zip line accident