Image source: cruiseradio.net
On June 19, 2012, Ron Barber was sworn in to the House of Representatives. The former aide to Representative Gabby Giffords took her seat after winning a special election following Giffords’ resignation earlier this year. Gabrielle Giffords became a national hero on January 8, 2011, when she survived an attempted assassination. She suffered a gunshot wound to the head, which severely affected her abilities to perform basic functions, like speaking. The resultant speech disorder, called aphasia, impaired her ability to find the right words and speak in complete sentences. Giffords faced an incredibly arduous, long recovery.