Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will be released from the hospital, five months after being shot in the head during the infamous Tucson, Arizona shooting.
Giffords was discharged from a Houston rehabilitation hospital where she had been relearning how to walk and talk, hospital officials said.
As Reported By Memorial Hermann:
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords reached a major milestone in her recovery today when she was discharged from TIRR Memorial Hermann and will soon begin outpatient treatment at the same facility.
Doctors treating the Arizona congresswoman say her cognitive abilities and physical strength have improved to the point where she no longer needs to remain a patient in the hospital.
“Congresswoman Giffords has shown clear, continuous improvement from the moment she arrived at TIRR five months ago,” said Dr. Gerard Francisco, the hospital’s chief medical officer.
“We are very excited that she has reached the next phase of her rehabilitation and can begin outpatient treatment. We have no doubt that she will continue to make significant strides in her recovery.”
Giffords, who was shot in the head on Jan. 8, will move into the home of her husband, Navy Capt. Mark Kelly, in League City, Texas.
“Gabby gives her all to everything she does and that’s exactly what she’s been doing at TIRR since Jan. 26,” said Kelly. “The remarkable progress she has made since then is a testament to both her single-minded determination to get better and the team of medical professionals overseeing her care.”
As an outpatient, Giffords’ intensive therapy program will not change. Her care will continue to be overseen by Dr. Francisco, who also serves as the chairman of the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.
