GABRIELLE GIFFORDS SENDS GREETINGS TO TUCSON
Gabby with her mother, Gloria …
These photographs released 6/12/2011 by Gabrielle Giffords (DAZ) are the first images of the Congresswomen since the January 8th Shooting in Tucson Arizona. Giffords was wounded in the mass shooting at a Northwest Tucson Shopping Center which took the lives of six people, including a 9 year-old girl and a federal judge who had stopped by to say hi, 13 people were wounded including Gabby. Giffords has had numerous operations and is now in rehabilitation recovering in Houston Texas. Gabby says she is working hard every day to get home to Tucson Arizona…
UPDATE GABBY’S FIRST TUCSON VISIT 6/18/2011 SINCE JAN 8TH SHOOTING…MANY MORE TO COME
Background of the photographer
The photos were taken by P.K. Weis of http://www.SouthwestPhotoBank.com. He has worked as a photojournalist in the Southwest for about four decades. He worked at the Tucson Citizen for 36 years, including 30 as photo editor, until the paper closed in 2009. Weis has known Congresswoman Giffords for more than a decade, since before she was first elected to the Legislature.
The photos were taken May 17 at TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital, the day after the launch of Endeavour and the day before she had her cranioplasty.
Statement by the photographer
“Any photographer in the country would have loved the opportunity to take these pictures and I was delighted to be asked. I’ve known Gabby for more than a decade and they asked me to do it because they wanted someone who was not a stranger to the congresswoman – someone she would be comfortable around. The photos were taken in her room and in an outside area of the hospital.
“In addition to the congresswoman, her mother, one of her staff members and a close friend were there. Doctors and nurses also came in and out.
“It was very inspiring to see how much she had recovered in 4½ months. I was excited to see her and to see her smile. She was glad to see me, was in a good mood, smiling and laughing and seemed to enjoy the experience. I certainly did, too.
SOUTHWEST PHOTO JOURNAL 