Preview: Gabby Giffords on Before & After with Lester Holt
4m 11s
Gabby Giffords shares her powerful journey of recovery following a 2011 mass shooting that left her with severe brain injuries, partial paralysis, and aphasia. Initially, after waking from a coma, she could only speak the words "chicken" and "what," but through dedicated therapy and perseverance, she rebuilt her speech and reconnected with the world. Her daily routine includes yoga, biking, gym workouts, and music, showing her active and resilient lifestyle. Gabby co-founded the Giffords Foundation to promote gun safety, turning personal trauma into a platform for public advocacy. She reflects on the emotional impact of the shooting, recalling how she and Senator Mark Kelly initially avoided overwhelming news to protect her mental well-being. The episode underscores how survivors navigate pain, rebuild their lives, and inspire others through resilience. Gabby’s story is a testament to the human capacity for recovery, hope, and continued contribution to society despite profound challenges. Her experience draws parallels with other mass shooting survivors, reinforcing the importance of community, advocacy, and personal strength in overcoming trauma.
Hi, I'm Lester Holt with a special preview of my new podcast before and after. In this week's episode, I sit down with Gabby Giffords, the former Arizona Congresswoman Mary to Senator Mark Kelly. Back in 2011, Gabby was shot in the hand while meeting with constituents outside a Tucson grocery store. She suffered a devastating brain injury that left her with partial paralysis and aphasia, a condition that sometimes makes it difficult to speak. But as I learn, Gabby still has a lot to say about her recovery, her gun safety organization Giffords, and her hope for the future. I can't believe we've never met. No. How is that? Yeah, I don't know. I don't know. You because I wanted to know what it's like being Gabby Giffords. Funny, funny, funny. I'm Gabby Giffords, yoga twice a week, French horns, banditons, biking, 244 the gym, pool therapy, and I'm troubling the 60% of the road. Are we talking about an average day you do? Yes. Yes. Yeah. How does it make you feel? Love it. Love it. Yeah. This is a point I think I want to bring in Emma Brown. I am. You work with Gabby. Yeah. The executive director of Giffords. Yeah. Gabby has a condition called aphasia. Gabby, I'll turn it to you on that. What does aphasia mean for your life? How does it affect you? Fasia really sucks. The words are they on my brain. I just can't get them out. I love to talk. I'm Gabby and I'm so quiet now. I don't experience humans all that quiet in real life. But what and chicken, chicken, chicken. When Gabby was shot, she was in a coma for a few weeks and when she woke up, those were the only two words that she could say, the word chicken chicken. And what? Yeah, the word what? No one knows why. That's why. But those are the only words that she could say. And she rebuilt her vocabulary from there. Right after you were shot, I flew out to Arizona and I was anchoring the news from there. Right from Tucson, the massacre that's left a nation stunned. Six people are dead and a congresswoman fights for her life. I'm sure you've been told this that there was some erroneous reporting that you would die. Oh, no way, Jose. Yeah. How long before you realize what had happened and the extent of your injuries? What is happening to me? What is happening to me, Gabby will, Senator Kelly will tell a story of after she had woken up, they hid the newspapers from her because it was too much, you know, to take in and I think you walked into the bathroom right in the hospital and cried and said to Mark, what is happening to me, you know, realizing what had happened in the extent of her injuries. Did you understand how badly you heard? You guys yes. Oh. You have tricky out of me sure? Yes. The bullet. Went through your head. Yes. I was thinking as I came here, all the shootings that happened after yours. There was Las Vegas, there was El Paso and I think about the survivors, people like yourself and how you manage to figure it out and you put one foot in front of the other and you take back what's yours. Are you still recovering? Yeah. What's that look like? A lot of homework, a lot of homework. It sounds hard. I'm tough. Thanks for listening. Search before and after with Lester Holt to hear the full episode now.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
Gabby Giffords survived a 2011 shooting that left her with a severe brain injury, partial paralysis, and aphasia, a condition that initially made it difficult for her to speak.
After waking from a coma, she could only say the words "chicken" and "what," which became the starting point for rebuilding her speech and vocabulary.
Her recovery involved consistent effort, including therapy, daily routines like yoga, gym workouts, and pool therapy, as well as emotional resilience.
Gabby co-founded the Giffords Foundation to promote gun safety, reflecting her commitment to advocacy and public service despite her physical challenges.
She shares personal insights into her daily life, including her love for music, biking, and interacting with others, demonstrating a vibrant and active spirit.
Her experience of trauma and recovery parallels that of other survivors, such as after the Las Vegas and El Paso shootings, inspiring hope and resilience in others.
Senator Mark Kelly recounted how he and Gabby initially hid newspapers from her to protect her from the shock of the events, highlighting the emotional toll of the incident.
Gabby emphasizes that recovery is ongoing, requiring daily effort and strength, yet she remains hopeful and determined to reclaim her life and voice.
Summary:
Gabby Giffords shares her powerful journey of recovery following a 2011 mass shooting that left her with severe brain injuries, partial paralysis, and aphasia. Initially, after waking from a coma, she could only speak the words "chicken" and "what," but through dedicated therapy and perseverance, she rebuilt her speech and reconnected with the world. Her daily routine includes yoga, biking, gym workouts, and music, showing her active and resilient lifestyle.
Gabby co-founded the Giffords Foundation to promote gun safety, turning personal trauma into a platform for public advocacy. She reflects on the emotional impact of the shooting, recalling how she and Senator Mark Kelly initially avoided overwhelming news to protect her mental well-being. The episode underscores how survivors navigate pain, rebuild their lives, and inspire others through resilience.
Gabby’s story is a testament to the human capacity for recovery, hope, and continued contribution to society despite profound challenges. Her experience draws parallels with other mass shooting survivors, reinforcing the importance of community, advocacy, and personal strength in overcoming trauma.
FAQs
Aphasia is a condition that makes it difficult to speak or understand language. For Gabby Giffords, it initially left her unable to form words, with only 'chicken' and 'what' being the first words she could say after her injury.
Gabby was shot in a grocery store in Tucson while meeting constituents. She suffered a severe brain injury, entered a coma for several weeks, and upon waking, could only speak the words 'chicken' and 'what'.
Gabby rebuilt her vocabulary over time through therapy and dedication. She engaged in regular physical and speech therapy, including yoga, biking, and pool therapy, to regain strength and communication abilities.
Yes, after waking from the coma, she struggled to comprehend the severity of her injuries. She reportedly cried in the hospital, asking Mark Kelly, 'What is happening to me?' and had to be protected from overwhelming news stories.
She maintains an active lifestyle, including yoga, biking, and gym workouts. Despite her condition, she remains optimistic and engaged in public service through her gun safety organization, Giffords.
She describes it as a process of rebuilding and resilience, emphasizing her strength and determination. She continues to inspire others by sharing her journey and advocating for gun safety.
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