Friends watch the Gabby Giffords special at The Shanty
People say Gabby's personality is still there
Reporter: Ileana Diaz
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Tucson locals sat at The Shanty bar watching every step of Gabby Giffords recovery waiting to hear her first words, many of them strangers to the Congresswoman.
“What were you feeling hearing her first words,” asked KGUN9.
“My heart just stopped it was so surprising it. Watching how far she went to not breathing on her own to making the first word...Incredible,” said Ryan Watson, who lives in Tucson.
And for those that know her another word comes to mind, inspiration.
“To know how far she has come, the smiling. That was the gabby that did the Congress on your Corner,” said Kristin Almquist, a colleague.
And since the last one, where Giffords was shot, close friends have waited for the moment to see her. And now, they are smiling and laughing watching as the special reveals Giffords still has her spunk and humor.
“It was so great to see Gabby’s personality…that twinkle and sparkle. She is back,” said Bill Nugent, owner of The Shanty and close friend.
There were also moments Nugent admits he held back tears. One of them was Giffords in her hospital bed just days after the tragic shooting, when she was struggling to survive.
“To use Mark’s words, beaten but not defeated. It’s great to see it in her eyes and to know she is trying, fighting to attain herself again,” said Nugent.
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