I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition)

The hospital communications director, Fiona Alexander, brings Malala a bag of letters from people all over the world, wishing her well. Malala is stunned when Fiona tells here there are over 8,000 letters. Famous people including diplomats, world leaders, and entertainers like Madonna, Angelina Jolie, and Beyoncé also send messages of support. Malala receives teddy bears and other presents. Benazir Bhutto’s children send her two scarves that once belonged to their mother, a gift that Malala feels is priceless.

Malala is stunned that all these people know what happened to her. She has not watched the news and suddenly learns that the outside world is abuzz with her story. Hundreds of journalists from countries around the world have tried to see her at the hospital. Malala believes that the doctors saved her physical self but the prayers and thoughts from all her well-wishers saved her life. Knowing so many people are thinking of her makes her feel less lonely.

Malala undergoes an eight-hour surgery to repair the severed facial nerve that causes the left side of her mouth to droop and her left eye to stay open. During the surgery, doctors also discover that her eardrum is burst. After four months of challenging physical therapy, Malala can smile and wink again.