But why can tiny, radio-controlled replicas of Minis deliver javelins, shot puts and discs to athletes in front of millions of people?

FORBES: At London Olympics, Usain Bolt's iPad Rejected But Minis Are More Than Welcome

Giffords had hydrocephalus after she was shot, a condition where an excess of cerebral-spinal fluid puts pressure on the brain.

CNN: Doctors: Giffords faces a long, rocky road to recovery