A “Miracle” In Giffords Hospital Room

By Sarah Kuziomko 

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said she was overwhelmed yesterday when she saw her friend, Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords open her eyes for the first time since being shot last weekend.

“It was such a moment, and we were in such tears of joy watching this,” Gillibrand told reporters following the memorial service for the victims of the shootout.

Leading up to the event Giffords was squeezing Gillibrand’s hand as the Senator was telling her how inspiring she was to the nation; and how as soon as she got better they would go out for a pizza night.

At that moment Gifford’s eyelids flickered and seeing this, Gillibrand encouraged Gifford’s  to open her eyes fully.  So she did.  Not only that, but Giffords started to focus on each person in the room, who included Gifford’s husband, Mark Kelly, and her parents.

But that wasn’t all, Giffords then reached out and grabbed her husband’s hand.

“You don’t understand….this is amazing what she is doing right now and beyond our greatest hopes,” Kelly told reporters.

Out of the six people hospitalized, Giffords remains the only one in critical condition. Six others died in the shootout, after 22 year-old college dropout Jared Lee Loughner opened fire at a constituent open house last Saturday.

 President Obama delivered their eulogies yesterday as thousands of people gathered to remember the victims.  

References:

http://www.buffalonews.com/world-nation/article311321.ece

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/13/arizona.shooting/index.html?hpt=T1