Update provided on Maya Gabela, the Tumbler Ridge hero who is still fighting

VANCOUVER — The mother of a 12-year-old girl critically injured in last month's mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School has shared an update on her daughter's progress.Cia Edmonds posted on Facebook that her daughter Maya Gebala has shown increased awareness of her surroundings since the February tragedy left her with gunshot wounds to the head and neck.Witness reports say Maya was shot while attempting to barricade a classroom door shut to protect her classmates.."She has come a long way since the beginning. And now she is aware of herself and surroundings," Edmonds wrote.Edmonds described creating simple communication tools using paddles for yes/no responses, allowing Maya to indicate pain or needs despite her condition. However, the update carried a heavy tone of grief, as Edmonds noted the visible sadness in her daughter's eyes."Shes aware she's in a body that's broken right now. I should be celebrating these milestones. But I just look at her, looking at me, with sadness in her eyes," she continued. "I tell her 'we will get there sweety, and ill be here every step'... All I can think though, is how completely unfair this world can be, and how she deserves so much better.. My Maya bear, my Maya moon, my biggest baby girl.. Please dont give up, we have so much work to do."Maya remains under care at BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver, where she has gradually improved from initial critical condition, including breathing on her own after ventilator removal and showing deliberate responses..The shooting, carried out by Jesse Van Rootselaar who died by suicide, killed several students and a teacher while injuring others. Maya was among the most seriously wounded survivors.Edmonds has been providing regular updates on her daughter's condition since the horrific shooting with Maya becomming a symbol of strength and resilience for many Canadians..A GoFundMe has also been established to help with medical expenses, which has amassed over $500,000 as of Thursday. The family is also pursuing a civil lawsuit filed March 9 in BC Supreme Court against OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.The claim, brought by Cia Edmonds on behalf of Maya, her younger sister Dahlia, and herself, alleges OpenAI failed to alert authorities despite having knowledge of the shooter's use of ChatGPT to discuss and plan violence, including a mass casualty event.

Update provided on Maya Gabela, the Tumbler Ridge hero who is still fighting

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