Malala thanks sympathisers for helping her 'survive and stay strong'

Fifteen-year-old Pakistani education campaigner, Malala Yousufzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban, has thanked people around the world for supporting her.

Malala was shot in the neck and head and two other girls sustained injuries when the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) opened fire on their school van in Swat valley on October 9. She was flown to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, for specialized treatment, where she is now recuperating

Since the attack, Malala has received thousands of goodwill messages from around the world, reports BBC. Her father Zianuddin Yousufzai said Malala wanted to thank well-wishers for helping her "survive and stay strong"

"She wants me to tell everyone how grateful she is and is amazed that men, women and children from across the world are interested in her well-being. We deeply feel the heart-touching good wishes of the people across the world of all caste, colour and creed," Yousufzai said in a statement issued by the hospital trust

Doctors treating Malala in Birmingham have said she stands every chance of making a good recovery. She was attacked because of speaking up against the Taliban and advocating girls' right to education. A National Peace award winner, Malala became the voice of all the girls in Swat Valley when she began maintaining a diary on the website of the BBC under the pen name of "Gul Makai", wherein she described the atrocities of the Taliban.