Brave Malala on mend in U.K. hosp
THE PAKISTANI teenage activist who survived being shot by Taliban fanatics peers up — with eyes that have already seen too much — in the first photo since her ordeal began.
Clutching a stuffed bear, her shattered skull covered by a white shroud, 15-year-old Malala Yousufzai was photographed in her British hospital bed. The photo was released by her doctors at Queen Elizabeth Hospital after they raised hopes for Malala’s recovery by revealing that she was able to stand — with some help — and even write a bit.
“She’s not out of the woods yet,” said Dr. David Rosser. “Having said that, she’s doing very well.”
Malala gave the okay to release the photo to thank the millions of people who have rallied behind her since she was shot on Oct. 9 by the Taliban in an attempt to silence her.
“One of the first things she asked the nurses was what country she was in,” Rosser said.
Malala was moved to the hospital in the city of Birmingham because it specializes in healing badly injured children — and because she would be safer there. The bullet that hit her shattered her skull as it tore toward her spine. It’s still not clear whether she suffered brain damage.
Pakistani authorities have zeroed in on the suspected shooter, a militant known as Attaullah, and have reportedly rounded up some of his relatives.
Malala got on the Taliban hit list at age 11 when she began blogging about life in the Swat Valley for the BBC. At the time, the Taliban were terrorizing the region. With News Wire Services