Arabic version: ليا ستيوارت تقول إن تعافيها لا يزال مستمراً

According to ABC News, Sydney shark attack victim Leah Stewart says she has not fully recovered more than two months after she was mauled by a white shark at Coogee Beach, but feels she has been given a “second chance at life”.

Stewart wrote about her experience for the first time on Sunday through a fundraising site, where her family had previously provided updates. She said the past few months had been “incredibly difficult”, but she had progressed enough to build some independence and could “finally see some light after all of this”.

The 35-year-old teacher was swimming between the flags and close to shore during a morning swim at Coogee Beach in Sydney’s east on June 13 when she was attacked. She was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital in a critical condition after suffering bites to her leg and arms, multiple fractures and major blood loss. Stewart was placed in an induced coma for days and underwent multiple surgeries, including the amputation of one arm.

The mother-of-one said she was concentrating on healing and doing everything in her “power to get back to some sort of normal life”. While she said she still had a long way to go, Stewart described her recovery as remarkable. More than $500,000 has been raised to support her recuperation, and she thanked people locally and around the world for their generosity.

Stewart said it was time to turn off donations because the money raised had provided enough support to recover, remain in the family home and consider future medical treatment. She said the support had “inspired me to get better, not bitter”. About 11 days after the attack, when she was briefly woken from the induced coma, her first words to her husband and mother were: “I love you.”