She was 17 years old.
The operation followed the discovery that the muscles in her injured thigh had been damaged beyond recovery.
The decision was devastating, but the surgery addressed the consequences of a life-threatening injury.
An above-knee amputation removes the lower portion of the leg and the knee joint.
That creates significant challenges for future mobility because the person must learn to move without the natural knee and lower leg.
Walking with an above-knee prosthesis requires a different pattern of movement from walking with an intact limb.
It involves strength, balance, coordination, and training.
For Addison, those challenges lay ahead.
The surgery marked the beginning of a new stage of survival.
Until that point, the medical effort had focused on treating the injuries caused by the shark.
After the amputation, recovery would also involve learning how to live with permanent limb loss.
The physical consequences were substantial.
Activities that once required little thought could become difficult.
Standing, walking, climbing stairs, and maintaining balance would all require adjustment.
There would also be the process of healing from surgery and preparing for rehabilitation.
The supplied account does not establish Addison's complete hospital timeline, the specific surgical techniques used, or every stage of her postoperative treatment.
But it does establish the essential outcome.
Her right leg was amputated above the knee.
She survived.
And she began the process of rebuilding her mobility.
The contrast between June 30 and July 6 was extraordinary.
On June 30, Addison had entered the Gulf of Mexico to search for scallops.
On July 6, she was recovering from an operation that permanently changed her body.
Only six days separated those events.
The shark attack itself had unfolded in moments.
Its consequences would remain with her for the rest of her life.
Yet the outcome was not simply a story of loss.
Addison was alive because she had escaped the animal, received immediate assistance, and reached hospital care.
The next challenge was learning to move forward.
Chapter 8: Learning to Walk With a Prosthetic Leg
Following the amputation, Addison began the long process of recovery and rehabilitation.
Her right leg had been removed above the knee.
That meant she would need to adapt to a new way of standing and walking.
A prosthetic leg can restore important aspects of mobility, but learning to use one requires time and practice.
An above-knee prosthesis generally includes a socket that connects to the remaining limb, an artificial knee mechanism, and a foot component.
The specific design varies according to the individual's needs, physical condition, and rehabilitation goals.
For Addison, prosthetic rehabilitation represented a new challenge after surviving the shark attack.