Tumbler Ridge Shooting Survivor Shows Remarkable Signs of Recovery
– In a moving update, 12-year-old Maya Gebala, a survivor of the February 10th shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, is demonstrating significant progress, her family has reported. Gebala, who was critically injured while reportedly attempting to protect her classmates during the attack, has opened one of her eyes and is showing signs of movement, according to updates shared on social media over the weekend.
The news offers a beacon of hope amidst the ongoing grief following the tragic event that claimed the lives of eight people, including five students and one teacher at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, as well as the shooter’s mother and stepbrother. Gebala has been receiving intensive care at a Vancouver hospital since the shooting.
“Such exciting news,” Krysta Hunt, cousin of Maya’s mother, Cia Edmonds, wrote in a Facebook post accompanying a video of Maya in her hospital bed. “Maya has opened her right eye and is responding. She is moving her hand and leg on her right side. This is amazing progress.”
The family has been actively sharing updates on Maya’s condition through social media and a GoFundMe page, expressing gratitude for the outpouring of support from the community and beyond. Hunt’s post also thanked those who have sent “prayers, love, food, flowers and donations.”
Earlier this week, Maya’s father, David Gebala, shared that adjustments had been made to her ventilator, indicating she was beginning to breathe more independently. “Every single day, you show us just how strong, determined, and incredible you truly are,” he wrote in a message posted on Wednesday. “You continue to defy every expectation the doctors and surgeons once prepared us for. We were told we only had hours and yet here you are, still fighting, still with us.”
According to reports, Maya was attempting to lock the shooter out of the school library when she was shot. Her actions have been widely recognized as heroic.
Another survivor of the shooting, Paige Hoekstra, was released from hospital on February 16th to continue her recovery in Tumbler Ridge.
The community continues to rally around both families, demonstrating resilience in the face of unimaginable loss. The Gebala family’s updates have provided a glimmer of hope during a profoundly difficult time, highlighting the strength and determination of the young survivor.
As of Saturday, Maya remains in intensive care, with her other eye still taped closed, but the progress reported represents a significant step forward in her recovery. The family has not released details regarding a potential timeline for further recovery or when she might be able to return home.
