Heartbreaking update in case of teen forced to have her leg amputated after 9ft long shark attack
NEW updates have been shared in the case of the Florida teen forced to have her leg amputated following a gruesome shark attack.
Addison Bethea, a 17-year-old girl from Perry, Florida, continues to recover after she was attacked by an estimated 9-foot shark on June 30.
The teen went outside on July 11 for the first time since June 30, her family shared in a Facebook post.
Video footage shared by the teen’s family on Facebook shows Addison wheeling herself outside of Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.
Addison continues to recover from the amputation surgery she needed as a result of the injuries she sustained during the attack.
“Addison is now out of surgery,” Addison’s family wrote in a Facebook post on July 6.
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“The doctors were able to perform an above the knee amputation and it went very well. Saving the tissue of the lower leg was paramount in this even being possible.
“Dr. DeRosier, Dr. Hutchinson, and the medical staff can’t get enough praise from us for the wonderful care of our baby girl today.”
The teen had been scalloping alongside her brother, Rhett Willingham, on the coast of Keaton Beach in Florida when she felt something touch her leg.
Moments later, she was fighting the shark and bit multiple times until Addison’s brother helped separate her from the beast.
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Luckily, her brother Rhett, a firefighter and EMT, and other local boaters helped tie a tourniquet to control Addison’s bleeding until she was airlifted to a trauma center.
The injured teen’s mom, Michelle Bethea, told The Sun that Addison grew up watching shows about sharks and discussing what she would do if she were ever caught in an unlikely situation with the animal.
“Oddly Addison’s always watched shows about sharks and when you grow up on the water – this is always something you always discuss,” Michelle said.
“She did try to do everything right – like hitting the shark on the nose.
“Addison tried to pry the shark off of her own finger and that’s an instinct that you can’t give advice on – that’s a survival instinct.”
Michelle explained how Addison and her three brothers have been scalloping since they could swim.
She also noted that her daughter was “buddy swimming with her brother” when the attack occurred.
Despite the attack, which Michelle is calling a “freak accident,” she insists her daughter is still going to get back into the water.
“You can’t stop living your life because this happened. It was clear water, a calm day, and she had a swimming buddy,” the mom-of-four added.
Michelle is optimistic that her “tough and strong” daughter will adjust well to this major life change and said Addison’s attitude remains positive.
Her sons have also tried to make light out of the situation, with the oldest, Jared, telling Addison at the hospital: “I’m never going to ask you who your fav brother is ever.”
Despite their admirable optimism, Michelle admitted that her family will soon be “enduring quite a few medical costs as Addison will require prosthetics in the near future.”
“Our concern is that Addison has the best mobility going forward and this is what’s going to give her the most normal life. That’s why we’ve gone this route,” Michelle explained.
She hopes people can help support her daughter through the several approved fundraisers that have been set up.
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A GoFundMe page has raised more than $71,000 for the teen as she continues to recover.
The approved fundraisers will be shared on the Fight Like Addison Facebook page.