Shark Attack Survivor Emerges from 10-Day Coma, Shares Heartfelt First Words with Family

After ten days in an induced coma due to a shark attack at a beach in Sydney, Australia, a woman has finally spoken her first words this week.

Leah Stewart, while recovering in a hospital, awoke on Tuesday and expressed her love to her family by saying, “I love you,” according to an update shared by her brother on a fundraising page.

“Following a week of life support and multiple surgeries, doctors were able to remove Leah from the ventilator and decrease her sedation, allowing her to emerge from the induced coma briefly,” her brother explained. “During this time, Leah vocalized her first words, ‘I love you,’ to her mother and partner, Fernando, both of whom have remained steadfastly by her side in the ICU since the attack.”

He mentioned that Leah’s initial thoughts were of her daughter, August, as she inquired about her well-being.

The mid-30s mother and teacher has already been through five surgeries, including having an arm amputated.

She had been airlifted to a hospital in critical condition on the morning of June 13 at Coogee Beach, a popular weekend destination, after a shark bit her legs and arms.

Stewart was swimming near shore while a friend watched her daughter on the beach when the attack happened, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

“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,” Stewart wrote on a fundraising page.

He 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.”

Stewart’s attack came after three men have been killed by sharks in Australia since May. A 12-year-old boy was also killed by a shark in Sydney Harbor in January.