Oprah lauds courage, tenacity of Ayer mother

(Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)

Monica Jorge sat for a portrait with her daughter Sofia earlire this year.

By Globe Staff

Monica Jorge, the Ayer mother left limbless by flesh-eating bacteria, was lauded by Oprah Winfrey on her television show this afternoon as the "most extraordinary woman I have ever heard of."

"Oprah" producers saw a Boston Globe Magazine story last winter chronicling Jorge's rehabilitation after she caught the disease during a Cesarean section.

"For every mother out there who struggles to take care of your children," Winfrey said, "who gets up in the morning and feels overwhelmed, Monica is here today to say keep going, keep doing what you are doing."

The audience gave Jorge a standing ovation as she walked onto the set on two prosthetic legs, her husband holding the stump of her right arm.

"We are standing up and cheering because we salute you," Winfrey said. "… We salute you for the light that you bring."

Jorge said she sometimes has doubts, but has kept looking forward.

"I did have moments of, 'If God just left me one -- one arm, one leg,' it would be a little bit easier. But that's not the way it went. So you make do with what you have and I could still love my girls."

"That was just the bottom line," she said. "I was still here."

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