Shark attack victim Leah Stewart remains on life support while her friends and family devise special ways to support the teacher in her fight for life following the mauling.
The 34-year-old underwent "more highly complex surgery" in a Sydney hospital on Wednesday, according to her brother, who asked the community for prayers during her ongoing treatment.
"Thank you so much everyone — as a family we've been blown away by the support, care, love and generosity we've received for Leah ... and the family," Joshua Stewart said in an update on her GoFundMe page. "She remains on life support. The doctors, nurses and staff at the hospital have been amazing, as have the highly skilled teams of surgeons."
He revealed that their mother, a registered nurse, and Leah's partner Fernando have not left her side at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney. "Thank you to Leah's friends who curated a playlist of her favourite songs over the years to play by her bedside," Joshua added.
"We're currently printing out photos to put into her hospital room to surround her with positive memories, for when she becomes conscious. We'll continue to share updates on Leah as we receive them. Again thank you all so much for your prayers, words of support, care, generosity and kindness. Your love, concern and help has made a world of difference to giving Leah and her little family some stability and hope for her recovery."
The mother-of-one had been swimming with friends within a flagged area at Coogee Beach when a great white shark attacked about 30 metres offshore. She suffered bites to her arms and legs, significant blood loss, and fractures throughout her body. One of her arms has been amputated.
Leah was pulled to shore by a 24-year-old surf lifesaver who paddled through blood-filled water to save the young mother. Her partner made a mad dash home from an overseas conference where he had been presenting.
NSW Premier Chris Minns declared a shark emergency on Wednesday, stating that special funds could be used to keep beaches safe. While no money is allocated in next week's budget, Minns said contingency funds could be used to deploy drones for shark patrols given the wide-ranging impacts.
