The father of 12-year-old Maya Gebala, who was gravely injured in the Tumbler Ridge mass shootings, says surgery to repair her damaged skull has been a success.
David Gebala said in a Facebook post that Maya underwent a cranioplasty to repair her skull, and there are “no visible signs” of an infection that previously hampered her recovery.
Maya was shot three times in the Feb. 10 attack in the remote northeastern B.C. community, in which eight victims died.
“Your sweet face is full of color again, and that sparkle in your eyes says it all. It’s been 24 hours since your EVD was removed and 72 hours since they clamped it. We’re trending in the right direction after your cranioplasty. The incisions are healing beautifully,” said David
Maya’s mother, Cia Edmonds, previously said the surgery would be her fifth, and hopefully her last.
“My beautiful baby girl, look how far you’ve come. So many milestones in such a short time. They warned us it would be two steps forward and one step back, but look at you now shining brighter than ever.” the father says in his Facebook post.
Investigators say 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed her mother and half-brother at their home before going to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where she shot dead five children, an educational assistant, then herself.
Maya’s father added that “even the neurosurgeons commented this morning on how wonderful you look and how impressed they are with your progress.”