At the very least, former South African President Nelson Mandela will greet the morning of his 95th birthday in hospital.  But family members say he’s making remarkable progress and might actually be going home soon.

Mandela has been in hospital in Pretoria since 8 June with a stubborn lung infection.  He’s still in critical but stable condition.

“I visited him yesterday and he was watching television with headphones,” said daughter Zindzi Mandela in an interview.  “He gave us a huge smile and raised his hand.  He responds with his eyes and his hands.”

The United Nations has declared Thursday, 18 July 2013 to be Nelson Mandela International Day and urged people to use the occasion to honor his work to reconcile whites and blacks in South Africa.  Current President Jacob Zuma will mark the birthday by overseeing the donation of houses to poor white families in the Pretoria area.