Audio By Carbonatix
The same day it was announced that Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords would be moved to a hospital in Houston to begin rehab as early as Friday, the hospital announced another milestone in her recovery: she stood up.
The hospital announced yesterday that Giffords — with the help of medical staff — stood on her own two feet, which is remarkable considering she was shot, as doctors described it, “through the brain” just 12 days ago.
“I am extremely hopeful at the signs of recovery that my wife has
made since the shooting. The team of doctors and nurses at UMC has
stabilized her to the point of being ready to move to the rehabilitation
phase,” Giffords’ husband, Mark Kelly, said in a statement released yesterday.
Giffords will be moved — possibly as early as tomorrow — to the Institute for Rehabilitation and Research Memorial Hermann in Houston, where Kelly lives with his two daughters.
“The congresswoman’s family wants to ensure she receives the best
rehabilitative care possible for her type of serious, penetrating brain
injury,” Dr. Michael Lemole, one of the congresswoman’s neurosurgeons at
Tucson’s University Medical Center, said yesterday.
In 2010, TIRR was ranked as the fifth-best hospital in the country for rehabilitation by U.S. News and World Report Magazine. Giffords recovery at TIRR will include things like therapy for things like motor skills and speech.
It’s still unclear whether Giffords will be able to speak, but doctors
remain optimistic that Giffords talking could be the next milestone in
her miraculous recovery.
