[DiamondSmiles]

Stephanie Decker, who lost portions of both of her legs while protecting her kids during a recent tornado in Henryville, Ind., is released from a Kentucky hospital. Msnbc.com's Al Stirrett reports.
By msnbc.com staff

The Indiana mother, who lost a leg and a foot while selflessly shielding her two young children from a 175-mph tornado in Henryville, Ind., has left the hospital.

Stephanie Decker, 36, was all smiles when she was escorted out of the University of Louisville Hospital in Kentucky, two weeks after twister leveled their home in Marysville, Ind.

Decker lost one leg above the knee and the other above the ankle, and broke seven ribs, but her two children, Dominic, 8, and Reese, 5, were unharmed.

"I feel pretty awesome,” Decker said. “I didn't expect to feel this way, but I feel healthy. I feel strong.”

Mom who lost legs told kids, 'not going to die'.

Decker said she is looking forward to the next stage in her recovery.

“I’m ready to tackle rehab. I am ready to get that part of this steppingstone over with. I feel really, really good.”

See video here http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/20...pretty-awesome

[Shattered AURA]

Nothing stronger than the protective instincts of a mother

[xstunt1ngx]

Respect for putting her kids before her. A+ in parenting.

[TheCapn]

I don't know much bout tornados and the like..but don't the authorities give you warnings about them? And wouldn't it be prudent to have a serious bunker or secured cellar to retreat to, if you lived in these sorts of areas.

[bigmikeymike]

Originally Posted by TheCapn ↗

I don't know much bout tornados and the like..but don't the authorities give you warnings about them? And wouldn't it be prudent to have a serious bunker or secured cellar to retreat to, if you lived in these sorts of areas.

yeah they do, but at most they're warnings that say hey this tornado is forming RIGHT NOW GETTHEFUCKOUT!

one time, while living in Minnesota as a child we barely had enough warning to get downstairs of the apartment complex we were living in to hide under the stairs.



Also I bet CPS ends up taking her kids away because she chose to live in an tornado prone area.

[DiamondSmiles]

I believe where this tornado happened, there was no warning. Unlike Louisanna, where people refused to leave, wasting time of rescuers.

Mrs. Decker did exactly what a mother should do! We see so much tragedy and torture of children on this site, I found her refreshing for a change.

[Drusilla]

Originally Posted by TheCapn ↗

I don't know much bout tornados and the like..but don't the authorities give you warnings about them? And wouldn't it be prudent to have a serious bunker or secured cellar to retreat to, if you lived in these sorts of areas.

Natural disasters happen so quickly,and sometimes you can assume you're in a safe part of town when you're not.
I have a relative who was caught in the 1974 Darwin cyclone,and she described the way the wind came up in no time and ripped off her roof like it was a can of sardines.And I was caught in the 2011 Brisbane floods,despite being in a hilly area that missed out in the 1974 floods and the worst of the January floods a few weeks before.I can't tell you how fast it happened.In 10 minutes we had 80mm of rain that was falling literally sideways and the water came through the side door and in 5 minutes was up to my knees.I can't tell you how frightening that was.All I could do was grab the cat and make for the roof.