Picha ya kwanza ya Fabrice Muamba baada ya kufufuka

Back from the dead: Fabrice Muamba tweets miracle first picture of himself 13 days after his heart stopped for 78 minutes

It's the picture the world has been waiting to see.

Fabrice Muamba sits up his hospital bed wearing a wide smile almost two weeks after collapsing mid-way through a match.

The footballer's fiance Shauna Magunda posted the heart-warming image earlier today to say thank you to the millions of fans who have supported her partner after he suffered a near fatal heart attack.

It shows the Bolton FC star wearing a blue hooded sports top and lying back in his hospital bed.

His smile shows the miraculous recovery he has made since the game on March 17.

Heart-warming: Fabrice Muamba sits up smiling in his hospital bed today almost two weeks after collapsing midway through a football match

Ms Magunda wrote alongside the image:

'Fab wanted me to post this pic for you all and to also say thank you for such overwhelming support.'

The picture attracted a string of emotional responses from fans on the social networking site.

One wrote: 'God bless you Fabrice. You keep on fighting, son. Get well soon.'

Muamba's heart stopped for 78 minutes as paramedics - including a cardiologist who leapt onto the pitch from the stands - battled to keep the player alive.

He was rushed to the London Chest Hospital, where he was visited by his Bolton team-mates and a string of football friends.

It was later revealed that 15 defibrillator shocks were administered before the sportsman began to show signs of life.

The incident stunned the football community and heralded a worldwide outpouring of sympathy for the 23-year-old player as his family urged fans to prey for him.

The picture will delight the legions of football supporters who have followed the plight of the youngster.

He is likely to undergo a long rehabilitation before he can come close to playing again.