By Gavin Boyle
Lulu Gribbin was only 15 years old when she was attacked by a shark. Now, she uses her story to inspire others and works to create change at a federal level.
“I just remember seeing this big brown shadow, I just turned around and just started swimming as fast as I could,” Gribbin told GOOD MORNING AMERICA. “I saw a glimpse of its body. So, I just saw a shadow, but I never saw, like, a tail or a fin. I never saw its eyes.”
“All I could say was, ‘Just keep breathing. Please keep breathing. God, please let her keep breathing,'” her mom, Ann Blair Gribbin, said, recalling how she felt after her daughter was airlifted to Pensacola. “We didn’t know anything, no idea if she was alive.”
Related: Bethany Hamilton Revisits Shark Attack Site 20 Years Later: ‘Grateful to God’
The attack resulted in the loss of her left arm and right leg, changing her life forever. However, in the year and a half since the attack, Gribbin has found meaning and purpose despite her life taking a turn she would have never expected. This gratitude started in the hospital when she was undergoing rehab and realized she was in better shape than many of the others around her.
“There were so many other patients that were in worse conditions than me and that didn’t even have the option to do half the stuff that I was doing,” Gribbin said. “They would do anything in the world to be in my position. So I was just grateful that I had the option to do what they were teaching.”
“She never complained one time,” added Gribbin’s mom, Ann Blair. “We never wanted this for our child and I would go back in a heartbeat, but the way she has handled it has been truly amazing.”
Now that she has gotten a hold on life down an arm and a leg, she is advocating for a federal law, while also starting a foundation to help other amputees. The law, “Lulu’s Law” would create an Amber Alert-style system that would inform beachgoers when a shark attack occurs in their area.
“Before my attack, there was another shark attack 90 minutes before me just a few miles down the coast,” Gribbin explained. “So, if I would’ve known about this, I would not have been in the water.”
But thanks to her family and faith, she’s recovering well.
“I think knowing that I have a large support system behind me, and just continuing to get better, not only for myself, but for them, and just show them that anything is possible,” she said. “And just knowing that God decided to save me, and so just showing him that he performed a miracle on the right person.”
Gribbin’s strength to turn her tragedy into action is similar to pro surfer Bethany Hamilton who previously admitted she was afraid to share her story but has found so much purpose in doing so.
“Living my life so much in the public’s eye has been extremely challenging and yet very beautiful at the same time!” Hamilton said. “Receiving letters from people all over the world, saying I inspired them to keep going as they faced their hardship… led me to step outside of my comfort zone to encourage and bless others.”
It is amazing to see Gribbin’s resilience in the face of a life-altering tragedy, and her work will surely improve the lives of many as she works to redeem her attack.
Read Next: Bethany Hamilton Keeps Trusting God’s Plan 21 Years After Shark Attack
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