Henryville mother who lost legs while saving her children leaves hospital

LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB) -- The Henryville mother who lost her legs protecting her children from a tornado was released from the hospital on Friday.

On Friday, Stephanie Decker headed to the Southern Indiana Rehab facility, where she will stay for the next week or so.

Decker was taken to U of L hospital on March 2nd after surviving the tornado that hit Henryville.

After this trip to rehab she will have another surgery, more rehab and learning to walk on prosthetics, but she remains positive.

"I didn't expect to feel this way, but I feel healthy. I feel strong. I'm ready to tackle rehab" says Stephanie Decker.

She was in the basement with her kids, and covered them with a blanket and herself, before a steal beam and debris crushed her. Doctors had to amputate one leg just below the knee-- the other just above it.

Encouragement from the community, and strangers nationwide, has helped.

"The support has been tremendous. It has really taken a burden off of all of us and really helped us to be a family," says Stephanie Decker.

"Because there's so many people that have totally put their life on hold just to help us. And to help Henryville, so it's been really good," says Joe Decker, Stephanie's husband.

While Stephanie and her family now begin the next step in her recovery process, they're hoping others impacted by the tornadoes will continue to get help.

"There's a lot of people out there and it's gonna a long time for the town and that area to get better," says Joe Decker.

She's also hoping another upcoming surgery on her left leg will be the last.

"Hopefully after that I am going home to be with my family and enjoy the rest of my life. Get it moving again and back to my life," says Stephanie Decker.

Stephanie Decker says she's looking forward to eventually going home and spending time with her family.

She says she and her family just moved to Henryville several years ago, and have another home in Sellersburg. That's where they'll soon be moving.

Her husband has been back to visit Henryville and says he considers the people who rescued his wife to now be family.

As for Stephanie, on an NCAA note, she says she's glad to see U of L advance in the NCAA Tournament.