Claire Bridges was fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 when she contracted the virus, the complications from which restricted blood flow to her legs and left doctors no choice but to amputate.
A 21-year-old model from Florida was ready to take on the fashion world when she came down with COVID-19 and had to have her legs amputated. Claire Bridges was fully vaccinated and boosted, but still got the virus.
“My symptoms were my legs. They just wouldn't work, and I couldn't really get out of bed,” Bridges said.
She was rushed to Tampa General Hospital, where her condition deteriorated.
Blood flow to Bridges' legs had been restricted due to complications from the virus. Doctors had no choice but to amputate.
"My heart stopped three times. And I didn't know what was going on. I didn't know I had coded, I just knew I collapsed," said Bridges, who was born with a congenital heart condition.
While it was difficult to know she would lose her legs, Bridges still managed to find a bit of humor in her plight.
“There's only one way to look at it. I'm gonna lose my legs, so might as well get bionic ones,” Bridges said.
She documented her two-month stay in the hospital on social media and was finally able to go home last week to celebrate her birthday. She wore a tiara and basked in the love of friends and family.
“I have my days, and it has been a hard adjustment for everybody, just because it's so different and we never expected it, but we're grateful,” Bridges said.
The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with medical expenses.
