- Leah Stewart was attacked by a shark at Coogee Beach.
- In an emotional interview with Nine aired this weekend, Ms Stewart recalled coming face to face with the shark and fearing her daughter, August, would grow up without her.
- In her first public remarks since the attack, Ms Stewart said she had made enough progress to regain some independence and was beginning to see a way forward.
- Ms Stewart said the family was closing the fundraiser as the donations had provided enough support for her recovery and future treatment.
- Ms Stewart expressed that she was holding onto her leg during the attack and thought of August, stating, “I did not want her to grow up without a mum.”
Leah Stewart, a shark attack survivor, faced a life-threatening ordeal on June 13 while swimming at Coogee Beach, where she was bitten by a suspected 3.5-metre great white shark.1
In her first public remarks since the attack, she shared that thoughts of her daughter, August, fueled her fight for survival. "Its face was horrific," she recalled, adding, "I was holding onto my leg and I just thought of August. And I thought she’s not going to have a mum. I couldn’t handle that."2
After undergoing several surgeries, including the amputation of one arm, Stewart expressed relief at her progress, stating, "After what has been an incredibly difficult few months, I am so happy that I have progressed enough to build some independence and I can finally see some light after all of this."
The family initiated a GoFundMe campaign shortly after the attack, which raised nearly A$559,000 (£293,000) for her rehabilitation and ongoing medical treatment. Stewart announced the closure of the fundraiser, affirming that the donations had provided sufficient support for her recovery and future treatment options. "What you have offered has given us enough to recover, to stay in our home, and to give us options for further medical treatment down the road," she said.
“In an interview with Nine, Stewart recalled the shark's 'horrific' face and feared her daughter August would grow up without her. She wrote on GoFundMe that the donations have given her family enough to recover, stay in their home, and fund future medical treatment.”
The Independent
