Office of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords / AP Photo,
Another step forward in Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ miraculous recovery: Her family took her outside for the first time since she was shot in the head 12 days ago. Giffords can now stand with assistance, tried to speak, and scrolled through an iPad—and she is on track to be moved to a rehabilitation facility in Houston on Friday. Dr. Michael Lemole, the chief of neurology at University Medical Center in Tucson, said Giffords has made “fantastic advances,” but he warned “she has a long road ahead of her.” Giffords’ husband Mark Kelly said his wife has tried to speak, but the breathing tube in her windpipe has made it impossible. Giffords will be transferred Friday to the TIRR Memorial Hermann Institute for Rehabilitation and Research in Houston, one of the world’s leading facilities for brain injuries.