Three Democratic colleagues were in the room Wednesday when Rep. Gabrielle Giffords opened her eyes for the first time on her own since being shot in the head at a political event Saturday.
The breakthrough, publicly announced Wednesday night during President Obama's speech at a memorial service for the six people who died in Tucson, Ariz., came as New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz were sitting at Giffords' bedside. All three are close friends of the Arizona congresswoman.
Doctors said it was the first time Giffords had opened her eyes in response to her surroundings. On Sunday, Giffords' eyes briefly flickered open in response to "stimulation."
On Thursday morning, Dr. Peter Rhee, one of Giffords' attending physicians, told reporters in a briefing the congresswoman has also started yawning and spontaneously waking up on her own. In response, he said, they began physical therarpy, sitting her up and dangling her legs off the side of the bed.
Rhee credited the developments to Giffords' breakthrough on Wednesday, which he called "significant."
In an interview with reporters traveling with the president back to Washington on Air Force One, Wasserman Schultz said Wednesday night that the moment "felt like a miracle. It felt like we were watching a miracle. Other than the birth of my kids, this was the most incredible feeling to see ... one of your closest friends just struggle to come back to you."
[Doctors: Giffords '101% likely' to survive]
The three lawmakers had been telling Giffords about how they'd take her out after she recovered, maybe "for beer and pizza," when Giffords' right eye began to flutter. (Her left eye, damaged in the attack, is bandaged.) Giffords' husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, leaped to his feet and began encouraging his wife to open her eyes.
"It was the most amazing thing," Wasserman Schultz told "Good Morning America."
"All of a sudden, at that point, she just started to open her eyes just a slit. And nobody could believe it," the Florida Democrat said. "I mean, we were just -- we were stunned.
Gillibrand said it was clear Giffords knew they were there.
"Mark was urging her. 'Can you see me, can you see me?' And she literally pulled her whole arm up as a thumbs-up with her arm. It was amazing," Gillibrand said. "She was reaching out to Mark to hug him. … He said, 'Touch my ring' [and] she touched his ring. She touched his wrist, his watch. It was just unbelievable
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theti...was-in-the-room-when-giffords-opened-her-eyes
The breakthrough, publicly announced Wednesday night during President Obama's speech at a memorial service for the six people who died in Tucson, Ariz., came as New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz were sitting at Giffords' bedside. All three are close friends of the Arizona congresswoman.
Doctors said it was the first time Giffords had opened her eyes in response to her surroundings. On Sunday, Giffords' eyes briefly flickered open in response to "stimulation."
On Thursday morning, Dr. Peter Rhee, one of Giffords' attending physicians, told reporters in a briefing the congresswoman has also started yawning and spontaneously waking up on her own. In response, he said, they began physical therarpy, sitting her up and dangling her legs off the side of the bed.
Rhee credited the developments to Giffords' breakthrough on Wednesday, which he called "significant."
In an interview with reporters traveling with the president back to Washington on Air Force One, Wasserman Schultz said Wednesday night that the moment "felt like a miracle. It felt like we were watching a miracle. Other than the birth of my kids, this was the most incredible feeling to see ... one of your closest friends just struggle to come back to you."
[Doctors: Giffords '101% likely' to survive]
The three lawmakers had been telling Giffords about how they'd take her out after she recovered, maybe "for beer and pizza," when Giffords' right eye began to flutter. (Her left eye, damaged in the attack, is bandaged.) Giffords' husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, leaped to his feet and began encouraging his wife to open her eyes.
"It was the most amazing thing," Wasserman Schultz told "Good Morning America."
"All of a sudden, at that point, she just started to open her eyes just a slit. And nobody could believe it," the Florida Democrat said. "I mean, we were just -- we were stunned.
Gillibrand said it was clear Giffords knew they were there.
"Mark was urging her. 'Can you see me, can you see me?' And she literally pulled her whole arm up as a thumbs-up with her arm. It was amazing," Gillibrand said. "She was reaching out to Mark to hug him. … He said, 'Touch my ring' [and] she touched his ring. She touched his wrist, his watch. It was just unbelievable
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theti...was-in-the-room-when-giffords-opened-her-eyes
