Malala Yousafzai Released From London Hospital, Her Road to Recovery Begins

Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani activist who was shot in the head by the Taliban for speaking up for girls’ education was released from Queen Elizabeth Hospital in London on Thursday, according to a statement from the hospital.

The 15-year-old will return to the hospital in late January or early February for cranial reconstructive surgery. She still has a long road of recovery ahead of her, but the doctors have agreed that she’s well enough to be treated as an outpatient for now.  

“Following discussions with Malala and her medical team, we decided that she would benefit from being at home with her parents and two brothers,” said Dr. Dave Rosser, Medical Director at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. “Malala is a strong young woman and has worked hard with the people caring for her to make excellent progress in her recovery.”

Youszafzai has been at Queen Elizabeth Hospital since she was flown to London on October 15, after being shot on a school bus in Pakistan on October 9.

Yousafzai has become a symbol of the fight for equality for women and girls in Pakistan and around the world, and was a candidate for TIME’s Person of the Year.