MOUNTAIN BROOK, Alabama (WBRC/Gray News) – After losing two limbs to a shark and spending months in the hospital, a 15-year-old Alabama girl has returned home in style.
Crowds lined the streets of Mountain Brook to watch the parade welcoming 15-year-old Lulu Gribbin home Saturday afternoon. To the tune of “Sweet Home Alabama,” the teenager rode in the back of a golf cart decorated with balloons in her favorite color, purple, WBRC reports.
“Lulu is strong! We love you!” cheered some parade participants.
Lulu’s left hand and right leg had to be amputated after she was bitten by a shark while swimming in the Gulf of Mexico in Walton County, Florida, on June 7. Her mother says the teenager’s first words after the surgery were “I did it.”
Lulu’s strength was evident during her homecoming parade. Those in attendance could see her prosthetic arm and her big smile.
“It’s remarkable how she did it. She showed so much perseverance,” said a woman who attended the parade with her two young granddaughters.
Kati Ortis, an eleventh-grader at Mountain Brook High School, where Lulu also attends, says the teenager’s perseverance is also celebrated at school.
“There are ribbons everywhere. The teachers are talking about how excited they are to see her and how … we need to support her and show her the love she needs,” Ortis said.
Lulu’s family is now adjusting to life at home again and say they are grateful for the community’s generosity.
In late July, Senator Katie Britt of Alabama announced that she would introduce a new bill in Gribbin’s honor. The bill, dubbed “Lulu’s Law,” would require authorities to immediately alert the public by cell phone if someone has been bitten by a shark or if circumstances exist that increase the likelihood of a shark bite.
Last Monday, it was announced that the bill has the support of the entire Alabama delegation in the House of Representatives.
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