Gabby Giffords Goes Home

A little over 5 months after being shot in the head at a meet-and-greet in a Tucson, Arizona shopping mall, Congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords was released from a Houston hospital on Wed., Jun. 15. According to msnbc.com, Giffords will move into the home of her husband Astronaut Mark Kelly, in League City, Tx. which is about 25 miles south of Houston.

Doctors treating Giffords said her cognitive abilities and physical strength have improved enough where she no longer needs round the clock hospital care. They said she continues to make significant strides in her recovery and has reached the next phase of her rehabilitation, which is outpatient treatment.

Gabrielle Giffords has been at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston since Jan. 26, when she was moved there from a Tucson, Arizona hospital, where she had been cared for since being shot on Jan.8. Her husband Mark Kelly said Gabby gives her all in everything she does and that determination, along her expert medical care is what's contributed to her remarkable progress.

Giffords will have a 24-hour home health care provider for any of the special needs she may require, and continued outpatient rehabilitation for speech, occupational and physical therapy, but now she will be able to be with her family in her own home, which is a big milestone for her.

Giffords neurosurgeon describes her progress as "almost miraculous". It is said that only about 10 percent of the people who are shot in the head even live and many of those remain in a vegetative stage, while Giffords was able to move her limbs and respond to family and friends within days of this cruel ordeal.

Gabby Giffords did travel to Cape Canaveral, Florida twice, while she was in rehabilitation in Houston to see husband Mark Kelly take off on the space shuttle Endeavors final mission into space-the first launch being delayed. Both times she immediately returned to TIRR for further treatment.

Giffords chief of staff said it is unclear weather Gabby will eventually be able to resume her work in congress. Although she has made remarkable progress, it is reported that she still faces many challenges especially in the area of speech and communication. The left side of the head where she was shot is the area of the brain that controls these functions. Everyone wishes Giffords well and hopes that some day she will be able to return to Tucson and do what she loved to do.

Source:www.msnbc.com