U S Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a Democrat, shot at public appearance!!

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i caught the news item here yesterday morning, and yeah it was really really moving... heartbreaking, but hopeful, in a tragic way :heart:
 
They showed a clip on the nightly news last night of her singing "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" as part of her therapy. It was adorable! And surprising how singing is a form of healing regarding her speech. I was expecting them to show her singing Beautiful Day next :) She is so inspiring :heart: The gentleness in her voice reflects what grace she embodies, forgiving the lunatic that shot her.:up: That's a huge part of healing the human spirit but so hard to do! Amazing woman!

I just found this article about Mark Kelly her hubby. Just Wow. Reaffirms what a complete jerk Boehner is.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/15/mark-kelly-gabrielle-giffords-john-boehner_n_1095966.html
 
I found it remarkable that she can string a lot more words together when she's singing than when she's speaking.
 
I stuttered badly as a child and the speech counselor for our school system, whom I'd work with occasionally, would often have me sing a sentence I was struggling with, in which case I had no problem. I think the reason that works has something to do with moving the activity from the left hemisphere to the right? For most stutterers, doing singing exercises won't actually reduce stuttering when speaking, but they can help build confidence.

I'm sure the mechanisms at work are different in Giffords' case; stuttering is unrelated to expressive aphasia which is what she has. The left/right processing difference would presumably still be relevant though.
 
to go further with the stuttering, i've also heard of people who got into singing who previously stuttered. sometimes it'd be the first time they were able to be able to say something without stuttering. i can definitely see why it would help.
 
I'm truly in awe of her. She's such an inspiration.

They had a story in the latest People magazine talking about the parents of Christina, the little girl, from this tragedy, and how they're honoring her memory. I'm really impressed with their strength, too.

My thoughts are with everyone who suffered that day. Hard to believe it's already been a year. I hope everyone is managing to find the courage and strength to move forward with their lives.
 
I am happy that Giffords is doing as well as she is doing. I wish her even more success with her recovery.

But, I can hardly call this a miracle. If there was any 'divine intervention' a better case can be made for it being on the side of the shooter.
 
I think the American public (and correct me if I'm wrong) and even our dear U2 were hoping for here to recover and make a grand comeback into politics. Everyone (especially Americans) love a heartwarming beat-the-odds comeback story.

However, it is quite selfless of her to not make the Arizonans (?) choose between compassion/sympathy and efficiency when it comes to voting for her or not. News reports said she would probably be a shoo-in to be re-elected.

If she takes say, 5 years to recover fully and make her big political comeback, her moving farewell (didn't see it, but it's what people say) will still be fresh in voter's minds so they cast their votes her way.

All in all, a good decision I would think. X years to smell the roses while she can. Nice.
 
I just finished her husband's book and it was well worth reading. One part that was sweet-she told him years ago that she really loved him but that there was one person she would leave him for. That was Bono. Later when Bono got in touch with him about making the 360 video he told Bono about her crush.

Very detailed descriptions of the long process of her rehab, it really made me even more in awe of her determination. She was a strong, tough woman even before the shooting.
 
I just finished her husband's book and it was well worth reading. One part that was sweet-she told him years ago that she really loved him but that there was one person she would leave him for. That was Bono. Later when Bono got in touch with him about making the 360 video he told Bono about her crush.

:lol: That is awesome. I like that couple even more now.

Very detailed descriptions of the long process of her rehab, it really made me even more in awe of her determination. She was a strong, tough woman even before the shooting.

:up:

This book is definitely on my (long) list of books to read. Thanks for the mini-review of sorts.
 
He also mentions how she was able to get such a long rehab at the Texas rehab hospital only because of her superior health insurance, like all members of Congress have. Through group therapy, and discussions with her doctors, she found out that the vast majority of patients could only stay a month because that's all their insurance would allow. Even soldiers with traumatic brain injuries didn't have the same benefits that she did. She had voted for "Obamacare" in spite of the threats she received, and all the negativity about it in AZ. After her injuries she saw what it was like for others who didn't have the advantages that she had, and it wasn't just "I've got mine" for her.
 
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