The father of Tumbler Ridge shooting survivor Maya Gebala got to do something on Tuesday that he hasn’t been able to do for weeks: Hug his daughter.
David Gębala wrote on Facebook that Maya, 12, had been transferred out of the intensive care unit at B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver to a recovery and rehabilitation unit, and has been taking big strides — including sitting up.
Maya’s time in the paediatric intensive care unit has been a “whirlwind filled with both highs and lows,” he wrote, “but slowly we’re making some more progress.”
Gebala said he was “completely overwhelmed” when Maya, with the help of health-care staff, was able to sit up on the edge of the bed.
“This was huge for two reasons. First, she was using her own muscles to help support herself (with assistance), and second … I was finally able to wrap my arms around my daughter. Really wrap my arms around her and hold her tight.
“I can’t even begin to put into words what that hug felt like. All I wanted in that moment was to lift her up, hold her close, and never let go.”
Maya has been in hospital since Feb. 10, when she was shot by 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar at Tumbler Ridge Secondary, part of a shooting rampage that killed five of her fellow students and one teacher. Van Rootselaar also shot dead her mother and half-brother at their home near the school.
Maya was shot in the head just above her left eyebrow, the bullet shattering her skull and dragging bone through her brain before exiting through the side of her head. She’s battled brain damage and infections but has endured.
“Yesterday was a big day for us. … It’s now been 26 hours since Maya’s EVD was removed for the second time,” her father posted, referring to the external ventricular drain, a temporary neurosurgical catheter that drains cerebrospinal fluid.
“So far, everything is looking positive. She doesn’t seem to be in as much pain, and we’re starting to see a little more energy and colour come back. She’s still not a fan of the boot for the pressure sore on her heel, doing her best to kick it off whenever she can but her movements are becoming much more intentional.”
Maya’s mother, Cia Edmonds, wrote on social media on Monday that a previous infection that had been caused by a burst abscess appears to have cleared, but they are still waiting on confirmation.
Edmonds also took time to express her gratitude to the adults, children and first responders who had to live through the “nightmare” of the shooting, calling them true heroes.