The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and not necessarily those of The New Agenda.

When news of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was first aired, the reports were confusing and sometimes contradictory. Some news reports stated she had died, but other reports had stated she had survived. Sheppard Smith said her type of injury had a 5% survival rating. Greta van Susteren attempted to untangle the conflicting reports.

We now know that Congresswoman Giffords is alive and is recovering well. With such a low percentage of survivors – Smith’s 5% statement and ABC’s comment “Two-thirds of people who are shot in the head never make it to the hospital.” – we should consider her survival a miracle and her recovery a testament of her strength.

Upon her arrival at the hospital, doctors had quickly removed part of her skull to reduce the possibility of swelling and to prevent further brain damage. Full recovery might be several months, and no one knows what the long-term effects would be from an injury in an area that “controls speech abilities and the movement and sensation of the body’s right side” as well as many other significant functions. The neurosurgeon in charge of her care said:

“In the brain, there are so many pathways we don’t know what’s going to be permanent, and what will be restructured by the brain itself and what will be compensated,”

However, she has displayed strong positive signs right from the start. The day after being shot, she was already responding to verbal commands by moving some of her fingers. Yesterday, she began moving both her arms. She can also breathe on her own, but the doctors insisted they keep “a breathing tube in place as a precaution.”

On Tuesday, University Medical Center Critical Care and Trauma Director Dr. Peter Rhee predicted: “She has a 101 percent chance of surviving.”

Then, last evening, President Obama shared that Congresswoman Giffords had opened her eyes for the first time during a visit to her room:

As soon as Obama finished his remarks, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, let it be known that she, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Florida, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, were in the room at the time, along with Kelly and Giffords’ parents.

“It was like witnessing a miracle,” Gillibrand told CNN.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is in America’s prayers, and I hope for her full and speedy recovery. With such quick improvements, she has shown herself to be a powerful woman worthy of our admiration.