Paige was swimming in the ocean with her family in early June when she was attacked by a shark. Paige’s father, a firefighter, came to her rescue, fighting off the shark and bringing her to shore, where the Atlantic Beach Fire Department summoned Vidant EastCare to bring her to Vidant Medical Center, the only level 1 trauma center in eastern NC. The flight crew initially did not think she could be badly hurt, because of how calm she remained. While enroute from the scene she received pain medication and blood products. On arrival at Vidant Medical Center she was taken to surgery, the first of many that were required to amputate her badly injured leg and begin to repair her hands. Throughout this ordeal Paige has remained upbeat, telling Good Morning America,

Paige is a unique individual, and her courage and selflessness was exemplified by one of her early comments to the flight paramedic: “I’m just glad it wasn’t my sister.” We see so many patients who are angry, intoxicated, or unconscious, and Paige provided a breath of fresh air, reminding us all of why we do this work. Her personality and resilience in the face of such devastating injuries attracted international attention, including an interview on ABC News’ NightLine program.

Learn more from this ABC News story.