Source : Perth Now news
A mum who was critically injured in a shark attack has provided a heartwarming update as the she continues her recovery.
Leah Stewart was swimming between the flags at Coogee Beach on the morning of June 13 when she was mauled by a suspected 3.5-metre great white shark, sustaining life-threatening bites to her arms and legs.
The mother was placed into a medically induced coma for nearly two weeks, undergoing several surgeries and having her arm amputated.
A fundraiser was created to help the Sydney woman in her recovery, with more than $558,000 raised for her rehabilitation, prosthetics and ongoing medical treatment.
In a fundraiser update, the mother said she has been “constantly overwhelmed at how supportive people I know, and even strangers, have been, and how much they’ve cared about my family to make such an impact on our lives”.
“After what has been an incredibly difficult few months, I’m so happy that I’ve progressed enough to build some independence, and I can finally see some light after all of this,” she said.
“At this point, I think it’s appropriate for us to turn off donations on the GoFundMe, because what you’ve offered has given us enough to recover, to stay in our home, and to give us options for further medical treatment down the road.”
She said the past few months have been spent on healing and slowly returning to “to some sort of normal life”.
“I still have a long way to go, but my recovery has been remarkable, and a huge part of that is because of the absolute army of love, support, prayers and encouragement surrounding my family and I from all over the world,” she wrote.
Ms Stewart said she feels as if she has been “given a second chance at life”.
“ … I’m not going to waste it,” she said.
“As I get better, I know I’ll make something of this second chance and aim to give back even more in generosity, care, and love. I will forever be grateful for everything, and everyone, I’ve been given.
“You’ve inspired me to get better, not bitter.”
