Spokesman: Giffords Speaking "More and More"
A spokesman for Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords said the congresswoman is speaking "more and more," one month after being shot in the head at an event with constituents that killed six others, reports the Associated Press.
Giffords spokesman C.J. Karamargin confirmed to CBS News that Giffords speech is improving and that she did directly ask for toast for breakfast recently, although he does not know what her very first words were.
An earlier statement from Giffords office reads: "The reports of Congresswoman Giffords improving in ALL areas are
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On Tuesday, one of Giffords' doctors said he hopes the wounded congresswoman can make enough progress to attend her husband's space launch in two months, describing it as a goal to work toward as many in Arizona paused to mark one month since she was shot at a political event.
The space shuttle Endeavour will leave April 19 for a two-week mission to the International Space Station, and astronaut Mark Kelly announced last week that he'll be aboard and expects his wife, who was shot in the forehead, to see him off.
Dr. Gerard Francisco said doctors would have to make decisions on a variety of medical issues for that to happen, including whether Giffords can fly to Cape Canaveral, Fla., how much assistance she would need, and how much noise she can tolerate.
In a Facebook post Tuesday, Kelly wrote it's hard to believe only one month had passed.
"The doctors say she is recovering at lightning speed considering her injury, but they aren't kidding when they say this is a marathon process," he said. "There are encouraging signs every day, though."
Kelly wrote that Giffords has her appetite back and is enjoying three meals a day "even though it's hospital food."
Arizona state Sen. Ken Cheuvront, a friend of Giffords who shared a house with her and another lawmaker when they served together in the Legislature, said he was excited to hear that she is speaking again.
"It gives all of us a lot of hope that she'll have a full recovery," Cheuvront said. "She's a fighter, there's no ifs, and or butts about that. She's always been very tenacious, and I have no doubt whether it's politics or her recovery that she'll still have that same amount of energy."