She Stared Down A Great White Shark As It Attacked Her And Later Lost Her Arm

35-year-old Leah Stewart was swimming one Saturday morning at Coogee Beach, which is located in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia.

It was a completely normal summer day, and Leah was not far out in open water at all. Out of nowhere, a shark attacked her, launching a fight for her literal life.

Charlie Velcro, a lifeguard who was off-duty and in the water on his paddleboard, jumped in to save Leah and brought her back to shore, where other people raced to perform CPR and put tourniquets on her.

"Leah is a dedicated and loving mother, a passionate teacher, and a Coogee local who loves the ocean. Tragically, on June 13th, whilst on a morning swim close to the shore, within the flags on Coogee Beach, Leah was attacked by a shark and has sustained severe and life-threatening injuries with multiple bites across her arms and legs, lacerations and fractures throughout her body, and extreme blood loss," Leah's brother Josh wrote on a GoFundMe page for her.

Leah was airlifted to the hospital, placed on life support, underwent several surgeries, and ultimately needed to have her arm amputated. She came scarily close to losing her life that day to what everyone believes was a great white shark.

In an update posted by Leah to GoFundMe three days ago, she thanked everyone for caring so much about her amid some of the most challenging months of her life.

She reported that she is regaining her independence and can see the light ahead of her. Leah apologized for being silent on GoFundMe after her attack, but said that she was invested in getting better while trying to resume a normal life.

She acknowledged that she still has quite a long journey ahead of her, but so far her recovery has been "remarkable," and she credits the love and support she received around the world for it.

"Once again, I don’t feel like I can say thank you enough. I want you to know that I feel like I’ve been given a second chance at life, and I’m not going to waste it," Leah added.

GoFundMe - pictured above is Leah

"As I get better, I know I’ll make something of this second chance and aim to give back even more in generosity, care, and love. I will forever be grateful for everything and everyone I’ve been given. You've inspired me to get better, not bitter. Love, Leah."

In an interview with 60 Minutes Australia, Leah detailed that all she could think about was her daughter, August, and how she would not grow up with a mom as the shark latched onto her leg.

She stared the shark in the face as it attacked, describing it as "horrific," and something she will never be able to forget for the rest of her life.

You can view the GoFundMe for Leah here.