“In time Leah will want to share more of her story, she remembers the whole event in detail,” Leah Stewart's brother Joshua shared on a GoFundMe
Credit: gofundme
NEED TO KNOW
- A 34-year-old teacher is now out of a medically induced coma following a shark attack off the coast of Australia earlier this month
- She remembers everything, her family said in an update
- “It’s amazing to hear from her so much sooner than anyone expected,” Leah Stewart’s brother Joshua wrote on a GoFundMe page
A 34-year-old mom who survived a shark attack can recall everything that happened now that she is out of a medically induced coma.
On Thursday, June 25, loved ones announced that Leah Stewart has reached another positive milestone, according to a GoFundMe page. She is now stable and no longer in critical condition after she was nearly killed by a shark on Saturday, June 13, at Sydney’s Coogee Beach.
“Leah has been brought out from the heavy sedation and is now awake and alert and has been able to speak with our family and her medical team,” Stewart’s brother, Joshua Stewart, wrote on the donation page created to support her recovery and on which he’s provided regular updates. “It’s amazing to hear from her so much sooner than anyone expected.”
Leah and her 1-year-old daughter, August, were able to have a much-anticipated reunion for the first time since the attack. While the teacher continues to recover from an arm amputation and numerous injuries, she’s grateful for the support she and her family have received.
“In time Leah will want to share more of her story, she remembers the whole event in detail,” Joshua wrote in the June 25 update, “but for now is focussed on resting and healing as her doctors support her in pain management, tests, regaining some movement and preparing her for further surgeries tomorrow.”
Almost two weeks ago, Leah sustained “severe and life-threatening injuries” when a shark attacked her during a morning swim close to the shore, St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney said in a news release previously obtained by PEOPLE.
Shark attacks are common in Australia. Just last month, one man was killed by a shark while spearfishing in Queensland, and a father-of-two died in Western Australia after he was bitten by a shark, the BBC reported.
Following the June 13 incident, Leah was on life support and has undergone days of surgeries. One of her arms was amputated after she sustained “multiple bites across her arms and legs,” her brother wrote. She also suffered “lacerations and fractures throughout her body, and extreme blood loss.”
“As a family we are shocked and devastated that this could happen to our beloved partner, daughter and mother who is so full of life and energy,” Joshua wrote.
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Credit: gofundme
Currently, Leah doesn’t have use of her remaining hand because her arm has “severe tendon and nerve damage which will require further repair and intensive rehabilitation,” he explained.
For the foreseeable future, the 34-year-old mom will continue to undergo surgeries and a lengthy rehabilitation process, according to the donation page.
“Leah has shown she is so strong,” Joshua added, “fighting to come back to her daughter August.”
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