US congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who was shot in the head in January has been speaking publicly about her recovery for the first time.
Giffords of Arizona spoke to Diane Sawyer for ABC’s 20/20 programme.
Six died and 13 were injured in the shooting at a constituency event in Tucson, Arizona.
Giffords said she was feeling “pretty good” but added her recovery had been “difficult” – she has had to relearn simple acts like nodding and smiling.
Her astronaut husband Mark Kelly, who retired from Nasa after leading one of the US agency’s last shuttle missions over the summer, was also interviewed.
Asked whether she was still in pain, Giffords replied: “It’s difficult.”
The interview is to be broadcast with home video clips filmed by Kelly documenting his wife’s recovery.
Kelly said of the videos: “I just thought, she’s going to ask, ‘OK, what was all that like?'”
The interview was conducted in October and will be aired in full today.
Giffords underwent treatment in hospital after the attack until beginning outpatient treatment in June.
She made her first appearance in Congress since the shooting in August to vote for the raising of the US debt limit, prompting a standing ovation.
Jared Loughner, the man accused of shooting Giffords, is being held in a mental health facility while doctors attempt to treat him so he can be tried for the attack. (BBC)
