Woman's first words as she wakes from coma after horror shark attack

Woman's first words as she wakes from coma after horror shark attack Leah Stewart, 35, underwent five days of surgeries and remains in intensive care, her family has confirmed in the latest update after she was mauled on earlier this month A mother who was left fighting for her life following a devastating shark attack has uttered her first words after being brought out of an induced coma, according to her family. Leah Stewart, 35, was mauled by a great white shark while swimming at Coogee Beach in Sydney's eastern suburbs on June 13. She was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital in a critical condition, where surgeons performed an arm amputation and numerous operations while she remained in intensive care. Her family has been keeping the public updated with regular bulletins from her bedside, with her brother Joshua releasing an emotional statement on Wednesday. "After a week of life-support and repeat surgeries, doctors were able to extubate Leah and reduce her level of sedation to bring her out of the induced coma for a short period of time," he said. "This allowed Leah to share her first words, 'I love you', with her mum and partner Fernando who have been by her side in ICU since the incident. "Her first thoughts were with her daughter August and wanted to check she was okay. "This is a lot faster than anyone expected, and for us this feels like a miracle and is everything so many of us have hoped and prayed for over the past week." Despite the encouraging developments, Ms Stewart continues to receive intensive care and faces a lengthy road to recovery, reports the Daily Mail. "She has undergone five days of surgery over the past week, and is scheduled for further surgeries today and more through the coming weeks," Joshua added. "Leah has a long road ahead and still remains in critical care, but this is such a positive first step and gives us hope for Leah's long-term recovery. "Again thank you so much for everyone who continues to support Leah, through your care, prayer, love and generosity." A crowdfunding appeal established to assist with Ms Stewart's rehabilitation, prosthetic limbs and healthcare expenses has amassed hundreds of thousands of dollars, with donations now totalling $488,000, reports the Express. The incident occurred while Ms Stewart was taking a dip at Coogee Beach. Charlie Verco, an off-duty lifeguard who happened to be paddleboarding in the vicinity, immediately sprang into action following the attack. He hauled her onto his board and made for the shoreline, where urgent medical intervention commenced. She underwent numerous blood transfusions on the sand before being transported by air ambulance to St Vincent's Hospital and placed under intensive care. Ms Stewart, who teaches at Hurstville Adventist School, had previously been employed at Sydney Adventist School in Auburn approximately a decade earlier. Former workmates remembered her warmly, with one associate recounting how she once spoke passionately about the television programme Australian Survivor. "She then said she wanted to go on Survivor. Well, 10 years later, she is a survivor," they remarked. "She will take on the challenges and come out on top. I wish you, her, and your families nothing but the best." At the time of the attack, Coogee Beach was not being actively monitored by shark drones, as the area falls beneath a flight path, though authorities subsequently granted a temporary exemption to allow surveillance. The shark responsible is thought to have measured between three and four metres in length.