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Leah Stewart, the Australian mother and teacher who lost an arm after a shark attack at Sydney’s Coogee Beach, has been reading messages from fans around the world during sleepless nights as she continues her long recovery, her family said.
“We’ve been sharing some of the beautiful messages we’ve received with Leah and she loves them, finding inspiration in the care and love you all share,” her brother, Joshua Stewart, wrote in a GoFundMe update on Sunday.
“Leah has had some challenging days but has found true strength through your kindness and support,” he added.
Leah Stewart has struggled with sleep in her recovery and relies on an outpouring of support from family, friends and strangers.
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“Since this incident Leah has had difficulty sleeping, and that night she has been reading your messages, not only to her family and community in Australia and her whānau in New Zealand, but to people around the world,” he wrote, using the Maori word for family. “They gave him real comfort and strength.”
Stewart, who is the mother of a 1-year-old daughter and a passionate teacher, was attacked on June 13 in the morning while swimming near the shore and inside the flags at Coogee Beach, according to her family. He suffered life-threatening injuries, including multiple bites to his arms and legs, bruises, fractures and severe blood loss.
He was put on life support, put under a medically induced coma and underwent multiple surgeries in the days after the attack. His treatment required the amputation of one of his arms, and the family said more surgeries would be required as doctors worked to save his life and stabilize his condition.
Stewart, who woke up from a 10-day coma after doctors cut him short, told his mother and partner, Fernando, “I love you.” Her brother said at the time he was thinking about his youngest daughter, August.
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“Leah has a long way to go,” Joshua Stewart wrote after briefly waking up, calling the moment a promising first step in her recovery.
Joshua Stewart said the family wanted to apologize for the delay in responding to fans, explaining that they had problems with the GoFundMe messaging system.
“Leah is incredibly overwhelmed by the support she has received and how her story has touched so many people,” she wrote. “Thank you!”
The fundraiser was launched to help Stewart, his partner and their young daughter through what her family described as a tragic situation. The money will support her recovery, prosthetics, rehabilitation, ongoing care and the major changes she will need as she works her way back into her life as a mother.
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His family also thanked the nurses, first responders, helicopter crews and the medical team at St. Vincent helped take care of Stewart after the attack.
“As a family we are shocked and saddened that this could happen to our beloved partner, daughter and mother who is full of life and strength,” wrote Joshua Stewart.
