Here are portions of an e-mail written last week by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' parents, Gloria and Spencer, about their daughter’s recovery. It was sent to family and friends, and from there has been widely distributed.

Our sister paper, The Green Valley News, was given permission by one of the recipients to publish parts of it.

— “The surgeons are ecstatic... Spence and I are humbled by the outpouring of love and prayers and overwhelmed with gratitude. There are thousands of people who have responded with cards, flowers,
FOOD (we’re feeding all the cops and federal marshals in UMC 3 square meals a day as well as folks in two other patient waiting rooms ... almost like the loaves and fishes).

— Every day Gabby improves and shows higher levels of comprehension and complex actions. Yesterday when Mark came back from speaking at her aide’s memorial service, she reached up and untied his tie...

— Early this morning she began to read cards made for her by some 4th graders! Her unbandaged eye
tracked the lines, she opened the cards and turned them over reading the back. Mark’s gotten pages of large print of Harry Potter’s 1st book for her to hold and read...

— Her eyes appear to be fine ... no optic nerve damage they believe. She came through with flying colors and all her neurological functions, temp., blood, etc., normal.

— They are even now having her move limbs on command. So now comes the “true grit” part ... and won’t be a stroll in a park although Mark predicts she’ll be up and walking around in 2 weeks. The physical and occupational therapy will proceed side by side and it’ll be stringent.