Leah Stewart's family shared this new photo of Leah as she is now in a stable condition in hospital. She has also sent a message to the community. Picture GoFundMe

A primary school teacher who survived a shark attack has made a "miracle" recovery, waking up from heavy sedation to speak her first words and reunite with her young daughter.

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Leah Stewart, the 34-year-old deputy principal of Hurstville Adventist School, was swimming at Coogee Beach on June 13 when she was attacked. Following the attack, a GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $500,000 to support her recovery.

Ms Stewart's family revealed that she has been stabilised and is no longer in critical condition. She has since been brought out of a medically-induced coma at St Vincent's Hospital.

"Some more wonderful news for Leah. She has continued to make progress over the past days, she has now been stabilised and is no longer critical," her family said on the fundraising page. "Leah has been brought out from the heavy sedation and is now awake and alert and has been able to speak with our family and her medical team. It's amazing to hear from her so much sooner than anyone expected."

Among the most emotional milestones was an ICU reunion with her young daughter, August. "Both Leah and August were overjoyed last night to see each other for the first time since the attack (these last weeks were the first time they had ever been apart overnight)," the family said. "Leah has shown she is so strong, fighting to come back to her daughter August. A few days earlier Leah was able to share her first words 'I love you' with her mum and partner Fernando who have been by her side in ICU since the incident. This is a lot faster than anyone expected, and for us this feels like a miracle."

Shark attack survivor Leah Stewart with August. Picture GoFundMe

While Ms Stewart remembers the attack vividly, her focus remains entirely on her immediate medical needs. "In time Leah will want to share more of her story, she remembers the whole event in detail, but for now is focused on resting and healing as her doctors support her in pain management, tests, regaining some movement and preparing her for further surgeries tomorrow," her family said.

The road ahead remains long and complex for the beloved educator, who suffered extensive injuries to her upper body. "Leah still has a long way to go, with an extensive recovery and rehabilitation process that will have her in and out of surgery through the coming weeks," the family said, adding that she "doesn't yet have the use of her hand" because "her remaining arm has severe tendon and nerve damage which will require further repair and intensive rehabilitation."

Despite the challenging journey ahead, the family said Ms Stewart was profoundly grateful for the overwhelming wave of community support and the medical team guiding her survival. "Leah has asked that we share her thanks and appreciation for everyone who has supported her through this difficult time, and her gratitude to the St Vincent's Hospital doctors, nurses and support staff who continue to be so caring. Leah has seen some of the lovely messages we've received and looks forward to getting back to people when she can."

Hurstville Adventist School is hosting a fundraiser for Ms Stewart on June 26, encouraging students to "shine bright" for its mufti day event. "As a school community, we continue to hold Miss Stewart in our thoughts and prayers," the school said. "During this time, we want to create a simple and meaningful opportunity for our students to show their love and support...students are invited to wear bright colours or yellow, reflecting Miss Stewart's love for sunshine and vibrant colours. It has been so encouraging to see our community come together with such care and compassion."