Gabrielle Giffords Breathing on Her Own‎

At LAT, "Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Taken Off Ventilator":

Doctors in Tucson take shooting victim Gabrielle Giffords off a ventilator, which means she is breathing on her own.

Surgeons at Tucson's University Medical Center removed Rep. Gabrielle Giffords from a ventilator Saturday and inserted a tracheotomy tube into her neck to assist her breathing, according to the center.

Removing her from the ventilator, which means she is now breathing on her own, allows the medical team to assess her ability to speak and is another step toward stabilizing her condition so she can leave the intensive care unit and be moved to a regular hospital room.