BUT W
I PRAY EVERY NIGHT FOR HER
AND HER FAMILY.
17 MONTHS AFTER A SEVERE
STREP INFECTION FORCED DOCTORS
TO AMPUTATE DEB KELLY'S HANDS
AND LEGS, SHE'S PLACED ON A
TRANSPLANT LIST TO RECEIVE TWO
NEW HANDS.
SURGEON AND A 40 PERSON TEAM
WILL PERFORM DEB'S OPERATION AS
PART OF A CLINICAL TRIAL.
THE PERFECT MATCH WOULD COME
MORE THAN TWO MONTHS LATER.
I GOT A CALL AND I THOUGHT
THIS IS REALLY THE BEGINNING.
HER SISTER AND DEBRA VINE FOR
THE OPERATION.
AT DUKE.
AT FIRST GETTING SICK A 2017,
HER LIFE WOULD CHANGE AGAIN.
THIS TIME ON THANKS GIVING DAY.
A GRACIOUS FAMILY DONATED
THE LIMBS OF THEIR LOVED ONE
FOR HER.
14 HOURS LATER DEB'S SISTER
MICHELLE GETS HER FIRST LOOK.
HER EXCITEMENT MATCHED ONLY BY
DEB'S OWN JOY.
OH I CAN PUSH AND GRASP.
YEAH, KIND OF.
THEY GO.
OH, THAT'S EXCITING.
THERE'S MY FIRST TEST.
I PUSHED UP MY GLASSES.
LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LATER
SHE LEAVES THE HOSPITAL HEADED
FOR A REHAB FACILITY.
I HAVE HANDS THAT MOVE AND
THAT I CAN FEEL THEM.
I CAN FEEL THE MUSCLES.
I DON'T HAVE ANY FEELING YET.
THAT TAKES A LONG TIME.
BUT I HAVE HANDS.
TRIED TO HOLD THOSE TWO.
KEEP THEM THERE.
LIFT THE FINGERS AND THE THUMB.
GOOD.
IT WILL BE TWO WEEKS
TOMORROW AND I'M ABLE TO MOVE
THIS.
FOR THE SECOND TIME IN TWO
YEARS SHE BEGINS MONTHS OF
THERAPY BUT THIS TIME INSTEAD
OF LEARNING TO LIVE WITHOUT
HANDS, SHE IS RELEARNING TO
LIVE WITH THEM.
BEND YOUR FINGERS.
KEEP GOING.
GO.
AND HOLD IT.
KEEP IT THERE.
HER ENTIRE BODY STRAINS WITH
THE EFFORT TO MOVE A FINGER.
BUT SHE ENRAGES EACH MOMENT
CONSTANTLY CONSCIOUS OF THE
REASON SHE IS HERE.
BEFORE I WENT INTO THE OR, I
SAID A QUITE PRAYER TO MYSELF
FOR THE FAMILY.
A TERRIBLE THING FOR THEM BUT
WHAT A WONDERFUL THING THEY DID
FOR ME.
AND EVERYDAY SHE DOES A BIT
MORE.
TO JUST SEE HER -- HOW HER
LIFE CHANGED BECAUSE HER LIFE
CHANGED.
IT'S REWARDING FOR ME AND FOR
OUR ENTIRE TEAM.
HER FINGERNAILS ARE GROWING.
SO IS HER CONFIDENCE.
I'M FORCING MYSELF TO DO
MORE.
AND SOMETIMES I SPILL WATER AND
I DROP THINGS.
BUT IT IS PART OF IT.
PERSEVERANCE IS SOMETHING WE
HAVE ALL LEARNED FROM.
HE
AND DEB WHOSE MORNING
ROUTINE LOOK LIKE THIS NOT SO
LONG AGO, FINDS VICTORY IN
SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS PUTTING
ON MAKEUP.
IT FEELS GREAT.
IT STILL IS NOT EASY BUT FOR
HER, --
I NEED TO BE INDEPENDENT AND
DO THINGS BY MYSELF.
IT IS EVERYTHING.
I AM JUST BLOWN AWAY.
WE MAKE SUCH AN INCREDIBLE
START.
AND DEB SAYS THAT AMAZING IS
A WORD THAT IS OVERUSED BUT I
THINK IT IS PERFECTLY
APPROPRIATE IN THIS CASE.
IT TRULY IS.
YOU SAID HER ATTITUDE HAS
JUST BEEN AMAZING.
IT'S INCREDIBLE.
FROM THE MOMENT OF WHAT SHE
WENT THROUGH TO GETTING THROUGH
THE SURGERY, HER ATTITUDE HAS
TAKEN HER THROUGH IT ALL.
I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS BUT