Leah Stewart, a 34-year-old teacher, has developed a nightly ritual of reading messages of love and support to cope with the aftermath of a great white shark attack. Stewart was swimming between the flags at Sydney's Coogee Beach on June 13 when she was attacked, an incident that left her fighting for her life. She spent two weeks in a coma and has undergone multiple surgeries, including the amputation of one of her arms.
Stewart remains in stable condition in the hospital and has been reunited with her baby daughter, August. Her brother provided an update, sharing that Stewart has experienced some sleepless nights since waking from her coma. During these times, she finds comfort and inspiration by rereading the messages of support she has received from her community in Australia, her family in New Zealand, and people from around the world.
"Leah has had some challenging days but has found real strength from your kindness and support, and wanted to pass on a huge thank you to everyone who has shared her story, sent her uplifting messages and supported her," her brother stated. He added that Stewart is "beyond overwhelmed" by the outpouring of support.
In addition to the loss of her arm, Stewart also sustained nerve and tendon damage to her other arm, though she is expected to regain full use of it over time. She remembers the entire event in detail but is currently focused on resting and healing.
A fundraiser established to assist Stewart with rehabilitation, prosthetics, and medical expenses has raised over $540,000. In response to the incident, the New South Wales government has announced an investment of an additional $34 million to expand drone coverage across Sydney and the state's coastline. This initiative aims to enhance beach safety by providing early warnings of shark presence through a fleet of drones operating 365 days a year.
Premier Chris Minns stated that while no shark mitigation program can guarantee zero encounters, the plan is to reduce risk for swimmers and surfers using the latest technology for earlier shark detection. The program may eventually incorporate autonomous, AI-enabled drones.