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This undated photo provided by Joe Decker Monday, March 5, 2012, shows Decker with his 36-year-old wife, Stephanie Decker. Decker told the Courier-Journal his wife lost parts of both her legs when the family's home collapsed onto her Friday in Marysville, Ind., as she was shielding their two children from a devastating tornado. The Deckers' 8-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter weren't injured. (AP Photo/Courtesy of the Decker family) (March 22, 2012) |
HENRYVILLE, Ind. (AP) — A southern Indiana woman who lost parts of both legs while protecting her two children from a tornado says she's doing great in her rehabilitation, and doctors say she might go home as early as Monday.
Stephanie Decker, of Henryville, lost one leg above the knee and the other above the ankle when beams, bricks and other debris crashed upon her in the basement of her home. She also had seven broken ribs. Her 8-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter were not hurt.
The 36-year-old women toll WTHR-TV for a report Thursday that she's determined to rebuild her strength for the physical challenges that lie ahead for her.
"I have another shot at life and I don't want to blow that. I want that. I am going to make the best of it, whether I have legs or not, that's not important to me. A lot worse things could have happened to me in that storm that day, and they didn't and I am thankful for that," Decker said.
Decker said she wants to keep doing the simple things in life.
"I want to help pack lunches, do backpacks and read stories at night. All those little things that we did every night that we never really thought about. When we all sat and had dinner together and talked about what happened at school. Did you enjoy art class? Did you enjoy music class? I don't get to do those things," she said.
Decker moved to a southern Indiana rehabilitation hospital last week and spends three hours each day in intense physical and occupational therapy.
"She's an excellent patient," said physical therapist Jennifer Estes. "She is very motivated. She was in excellent shape before and she is well ahead of the curve, I would say, compared to what you would typically see."
Doctors say Decker is making such good progress that she may go home as early as Monday. She still needs a skin graft to help close a wound above a knee before being fitted for her prostheses that will allow her to walk again.
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Information from: WTHR-TV, http://www.wthr.com/
