VANCOUVER — After months of intensive research, emotional deliberation, and soul-searching, Maya’s family has accepted Dana White’s offer to pursue aggressive private rehabilitation in Los Angeles, the family announced on Thursday.Now out of the intensive care unit and alert and aware, she is described as making “strong strides that far exceed all and any expectations,” bringing cautious relief after weeks of uncertainty.Described as “seemingly stable” and making “strong strides that far exceed all expectations,” Maya’s progress has brought a measure of relief to loved ones after weeks of profound uncertainty and emotional turmoil.“We can breathe a bit,” the family shared in a personal update. “The looming fear of darkness is subsiding, and we can finally consider what life may look like moving forward.”While celebrating her survival, the family openly acknowledged the complex grief accompanying her recovery.“I grieve a child while I look her in the eye,” the update continued. “I grieve the person she knew herself to be. I grieve the girl who never knew the words ‘I can’t.’”.“Our only want for her is that she continues to work for life and isn’t left to live confined to a body that won’t work, with nothing but memories of the fierce being she was,” they wrote. “Such an existence, I feel, would be far worse than the infinite certainty of loss.”Maya’s younger sister, Dahlia, is also grappling with significant emotional challenges amid the family’s ordeal. Having already lost her best friend earlier in the year and now witnessing her “fearless leader” incapacitated, Dahlia has been struggling with her sense of identity and security.“Dahlia has literally lost everything,” the family shared. “She finds peace and identity in being led. Maya did everything with and for her. Now, without friends, a solid home, and scared of schools, she is forced to watch her sister lay incapacitated. She’s not okay, and it shows.”To provide some normalcy, the family has been staying in short-term rentals so Dahlia can have her own room and share breakfasts with the family.“My hope is when we land in LA, we will be able to build routine and relationships that will hopefully feel normal(ish),” the update said. “A new chapter starts soon and we welcome it.”In an encouraging sign of Maya’s improving awareness, a tender interaction recently occurred between the sisters..“Dahlia laid on her stomach and [Maya] put her hand on Dahlia. It was a beautiful moment,” the family shared, adding a heart emoji.The family continues to navigate the uncertainties of rehabilitation and long-term recovery while expressing cautious optimism as they prepare for the next phase of care in Los Angeles.
