World Youth Day: private audience with the Pope

A select group were invited to meet Pope Benedict during his time in Sydney. They included Lauren Huxley, who was subjected to a horrific assault in 2005 that resulted in her spending 23 days on life support. She suffered permanent brain damage as a result of the attack. Nine other young people, including a former 'street kid' and a former prisoner, also received a private audience. The pontiff described them as 'ambassadors of hope', while one of the young people simply said meeting the Pope was 'living the dream'.