Leah Stewart, a 35-year-old mother and teacher, has shown a significant sign of recovery after a severe shark attack, waking from a medically induced coma to communicate with her family. Stewart delivered her first words, "I love you," to her mother and partner, who have been at her bedside.
The incident occurred more than a week ago when Stewart was attacked by a great white shark approximately 100 feet from shore at Sydney, Australia's Coogee Beach. She sustained life-threatening injuries, including multiple bites, lacerations, fractures, and substantial blood loss, resulting in the amputation of her arm. Her daughter, August, was on the beach at the time of the attack.
Stewart's brother, Joshua Stewart, shared the update, describing her emergence from the coma as a "miracle." Doctors were able to extubate Stewart and reduce her sedation levels, allowing for a brief period of consciousness. He noted that this progress was faster than anticipated by her loved ones.
Stewart, an accomplished swimmer, has a history of endurance swimming for charity. She has previously swum over 30 miles for breast cancer research and participated in the annual Coogee Island Challenge, a 1.5-mile race.
She was pulled from the water by an off-duty lifeguard, and a critical care doctor present on the beach provided immediate assistance alongside first responders. Despite her current condition in the ICU, where she will require extensive medical care and multiple surgeries in the coming weeks, her family remains optimistic about her long-term recovery, viewing her first words as a positive milestone.
A GoFundMe campaign established to support Stewart's recovery has raised over AU$505,000 toward its AU$550,000 goal.