Christa Pike is awake and speaking less than a week after surviving a botched execution attempt, which included two doses of lethal injection drugs, her lawyers said Tuesday.

The convicted murderer, 50, was due to become the first woman put to death in Tennessee in over 200 years on Wednesday last week but instead was rushed to hospital and has been receiving lifesaving care in a critical condition.

She now appears the first person ever to survive an execution in the US.

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“Against all odds, Christa Pike is conscious, speaking, and continues to receive critical medical care,” attorneys for Pike said in a statement.

“Despite the severe damage she endured to her arms, she is still handcuffed and shackled to the bed. Her recovery is medically unprecedented. Her prognosis remains unclear but, at a minimum, we expect a long recovery.”

The shocking announcement is the first indication that Pike’s condition has improved since an ambulance rushed her to hospital after she was administered two doses of pentobarbital.