Leah Stewart, an Australian mother and teacher, is recovering after losing an arm in a shark attack at Sydney's Coogee Beach on June 13 — and finding comfort in a flood of messages from supporters in Australia, New Zealand and across the world, her brother Joshua Stewart said in a GoFundMe update on Sunday. Stewart, who has a 1-year-old daughter named August and a partner named Fernando, survived injuries that included multiple bites to her arms and legs, lacerations, fractures and extreme blood loss.
How the Attack Happened
Stewart was on a morning swim close to shore and within the flagged swimming area at Coogee Beach when the attack occurred. The severity of her injuries required immediate life support, a medically induced coma and multiple surgeries in the days that followed. One of those surgeries involved the amputation of one arm. The family confirmed that additional surgeries remain scheduled as doctors continue working to stabilize her condition.
Waking From a 10-Day Coma
After her medical team reduced her sedation, Stewart woke from her coma and told her mother and Fernando, "I love you." Joshua Stewart reported that her first thoughts upon waking were with her young daughter, August. He described the moment as a hopeful first step in what he acknowledged would be a long recovery ahead.
Reading Messages Through Sleepless Nights
Since the attack, Stewart has struggled to sleep — and during those wakeful stretches she has turned to the messages filling her GoFundMe page. Her brother wrote that those messages arrived not only from her community in Australia and her whānau — the Māori word for extended family — in New Zealand, but from strangers in countries she has never visited. Joshua Stewart said she has found real comfort and strength in that outreach, adding that Stewart herself is "beyond overwhelmed" by how widely her story has resonated.
The Road Ahead and the GoFundMe's Purpose
The family launched the fundraiser to support Stewart, Fernando and August through a period Joshua Stewart described as heartbreaking. The funds are intended to cover prosthetics, rehabilitation, ongoing medical care and the significant life adjustments Stewart will need as she works toward returning to her role as a mother. The family also extended thanks to the lifesavers, first responders, helicopter crew and the medical team at St. Vincent's Hospital who treated Stewart in the immediate aftermath of the attack.