Concord mom can move robotic hand with mind following shark attack

CONCORD, N.C. — A Concord mother who lost part of her arm in a shark attack last month is was able to wear her new prosthetic arm for the first time Thursday.

[READ MORE: Concord mother who lost arm to shark undergoes 'revolutionary' procedure]

It's been a long road to recovery for Tiffany Johnson, the 32-year-old mother of three.

On Thursday, with the help of the prosthetic, she was able to move a robotic hand with her mind.

Doctors said she's ahead of the game when it comes to recovery, but Johnson said she's blessed because of the mountains of support she’s received.

[RELATED: Concord mother attacked by shark: 'He had my whole arm in his mouth']

"The support that we’ve gotten is just, I mean, I get teary-eyed just thinking about it because total strangers have reached out to me on Facebook,” Johnson said. “I’m just so thankful and so blessed.”

Last month, Johnson was suffering from severe phantom pains.

Doctors performed a revolutionary surgery called "targeted muscle reinnervation," and specialists were able to reroute nerves to different muscles in her arm, relieving those pains.

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