The family of the woman critically injured in Saturday\u2019s horrific shark attack at Coogee Beach are still coming to terms with the catastrophic scope of her injuries and the heartbreaking impact on her toddler, as they face a looming battle for her survival.<\/p>\n
Leah Stewart, a 35-year-old primary school teacher, mother and dedicated ocean swimmer, remains on life support in the intensive care unit at St Vincent\u2019s hospital after being mauled by a suspected 3.5-metre great white shark.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s such a tragic situation,\u201d her older brother Joshua Stewart told the Guardian.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeah is so full of life, she\u2019s so energetic, she loves the ocean, she was a keen swimmer, she was swimming in the flags, really close to the shore when it happened on a crystal clear Saturday morning. She\u2019d done all the right things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leah and Joshua\u2019s mother, a registered nurse, is keeping a bedside vigil at St Vincent\u2019s while the rest of the family are trying to maintain a semblance of normal life for Leah\u2019s 18-month-old daughter, who wants to know where mummy is.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re lucky the family\u2019s all been able to come together and she\u2019s getting a lot of love\u2026we\u2019re just trying to make it all work,\u201d Joshua said.<\/p>\n
He confirmed Leah had undergone an arm amputation and remained in a critical condition, with the family bracing for further possible life-altering news regarding injuries to her legs.<\/p>\n
Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email<\/a><\/p>\n While the medical team had largely managed to get on top of his sister\u2019s extreme blood loss, the full extent of the long-term damage remained unknown.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the moment, we\u2019re not a hundred percent sure\u2026 we\u2019re still waiting on further news from the hospital,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are multiple, quite serious injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n The family launched a GoFundMe campaign on Monday to prepare for Leah\u2019s predicted specialised medical expenses over an extended period.<\/p>\n \u201cSadly, it will involve prosthetics as well,\u201d Joshua said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis has been negatively life-changing for Leah. It is just such a tragic and horrific circumstance.\u201d<\/p>\n The family expressed profound gratitude to the community and the first responders, including 24-year-old lifesaver Charlie Verco, who paddled directly into the bloodied water to pull the unconscious teacher on to his board.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got so much gratitude for all of those people that supported her, from that first rescue on the beach through to the helicopter team that took her over to the hospital, and the doctors, nurses, and support staff.\u201d<\/p>\n The Stewart family has declined to comment on the fierce political debate that has emerged over beach safety in NSW over the past 48 hours.<\/p>\n Former prime minister Tony Abbott entered the fray on Monday, posting a video to social media demanding a cull of the predators.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so wrong that we don\u2019t cull sharks after attacks,\u201d Abbott said. \u201cIt\u2019s so wrong we don\u2019t put people before sharks.\u201d<\/p>\n Emeritus Prof Rob Harcourt, who leads the marine predator research group at Macquarie University, said a cull of sharks would make no difference to the risk of shark attacks at beaches<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cTony Abbott doesn\u2019t understand risk, he does not understand climate change, and he doesn\u2019t understand the science when he calls for a cull,\u201d Harcourt told Guardian Australia.<\/p>\n