For the first time since being viciously assaulted on June 1st, 47 year old Marlene Bird has been able to speak. The homeless Prince Albert woman suffered serve facial lacerations and burns to the lower half of her body.
Bird’s aunt Lorna Thiessen has been in contact with her by phone and says that her niece is in good spirits and happy to be alive.
“She’s been speaking for about a week now. She’s very clear, very coherent,” says Thiessen. “She’s cognitive about what’s going on, what happened, and what’s going to take place.”
The Prince Albert Police Service have confirmed that the Edmonton Police Service interviewed Bird at their request. The investigation is still ongoing.
Since the attack Bird has been recovering at Edmonton’s University of Alberta Hospital. Over the past month she has undergone several surgeries, including the amputation of both legs due to the burns.
The road to recovery Bird faces is still lengthy. She is still scheduled to undergo more skin graft surgeries to repair the burn damage to her lower body. She will also be transferred to a rehab facility once the surgeries are complete to learn how to adjust to life in a wheelchair.
Since the assault there has been an outpouring of support for Bird nationally and internationally. The Prince Albert YWCA has set up a trust fund for Bird to cover help cover her medical expenses and rehab costs.
Bird is described as a regular at the Prince Albert YWCA homeless shelter. The attack is believed to have happened between midnight and 10 a.m. on June 1st; when she was found outside of a Prince Albert community centre.
