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Australian mother and teacher Leah Stewart, who lost an arm after a shark attack at Sydney’s Coogee Beach, is spending sleepless nights reading messages from supporters around the world following her long recovery, her family said.
“We’re sharing some of the beautiful messages we’ve received with Leah and she’s loving them, inspired by the care and love you all have shared,” her brother Joshua Stewart wrote in a GoFundMe update Sunday.
“Leah has had some challenging days but she found real strength in your kindness and support,” he said.
Leah Stewart has struggled with sleep problems during her recovery and has relied on support from family, friends and strangers.
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“Leah has had difficulty sleeping since the incident, and on those nights she has been reading messages not only from her family and community in Australia and her whānau in New Zealand, but from people around the world,” she wrote, using the Māori word for family. “They’ve given him real comfort and strength.”
Stewart, a passionate teacher and mother of a one-year-old daughter, was attacked during a morning swim near the shore and among the flags at Coogee Beach on June 13, according to her family. She suffered life-threatening injuries, including multiple bites, lacerations, fractures and excessive blood loss on her arms and legs.
She was placed on life support, placed in a medically induced coma and underwent multiple surgeries in the days following the attack. Her treatment required amputation of an arm, and the family said more surgeries were scheduled as doctors worked to save her life and stabilize her condition.
Stewart, who woke up from a 10-day coma after doctors eased her anesthesia, told her mother and partner, Fernando, “I love you.” Her brother said at the time that her first thought was with her younger daughter, Auguste.
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“Leah has a long road ahead,” Joshua Stewart wrote after she briefly woke up, calling the moment a hopeful first step toward her recovery.
Joshua Stewart said the family wanted to apologize for the delay in responding to supporters, telling them they had problems with the GoFundMe messaging system.
“Leah is extremely overwhelmed by the amazing support she has received and how her story has resonated with so many people,” she wrote. “Thank you!”
The fundraiser was launched to help Stewart, his partner and their young daughter in what their family described as a heartbreaking situation. The money will assist with her recovery, prosthetics, rehabilitation, ongoing care, and major adjustments needed to work toward returning to life as a mother.
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His family also thanked the lifeguards, first responders, helicopter crew and St. Vincent’s Hospital medical team who helped care for Stewart after the attack.
“As a family we are shocked and devastated that this could happen to our loving partner, daughter and mother who are so full of life and energy,” Joshua Stewart wrote.
