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Official: Lynch could be hospitalized a few weeks
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former prisoner of war U.S. Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch "seems to be in good spirits" and remains in satisfactory condition, according to an official at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington. Maj. Gen. Kevin Kiley, who did not provide details about Lynch's condition, said Sunday the injured soldier will recuperate at the hospital. He said he expects her stay could last at least a few weeks. A U.S. Special Forces team rescued Lynch, 19, in a daring raid April 1 at a Nasiriya, Iraq, hospital. The U.S. military said she is recovering from fractures in her right arm, foot, ankle, both legs and a disc in her lower spine. She also has head lacerations. "The vast majority of troops that come in with similar types of injuries have full or near full recovery," Kiley said. Forty-six soldiers are being treated in the hospital. About 40 others are undergoing care on an outpatient basis. About 115 soldiers have been taken to Walter Reed since the war in Iraq began. Some have been discharged or moved to other facilities. Lynch was among 11 patients with battlefield injuries who arrived Saturday at the hospital. Kiley said she is "resting comfortably." She spent 10 days at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany before returning to the United States. Members of Lynch's family, who had flown to Germany from their home in Palestine, West Virginia, accompanied her on the flight back to the United States. They followed Lynch to Walter Reed, where they arrived shortly before 7 p.m. "Private Lynch looked good [Sunday] morning," Kiley said. In previous experiences, he said, POWs need "special attention" to help them integrate back into their units. He said, "Some individuals bounce back quicker than others." Lynch is in the same ward with others who served in the Iraqi operation, Kiley said. But she is not yet visiting other soldiers. "She has a television at her bedside," he said, but he didn't know if she had been watching it. Kiley said the Lynch family is doing well and "we are committed to protecting" Lynch's privacy. The family released a statement saying it is "rejoicing" over the safe recovery of seven troops Sunday. It is "certainly an answer to our prayers," the family said in a statement.
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