UPDATE: Another 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, posting on Facebook that her daughter Maya Gebala will enter another surgery procedure shortly.Gebala, the 12-year-old survivor of last month's mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, is scheduled for her fourth surgery in approximately three and a half hours, her mother Cia Edmonds announced in a social media post early Friday.The procedure will involve placing a prosthetic piece to replace the portion of her skull shattered by a bullet, Edmonds wrote. "She is finally getting a prosthetic piece of her skull put in place, in lieu of the one she had, that was fractured to bits from a bullet."Edmonds described the past month and a half as a "fog," recounting early defiance against grim medical expectations: "The first week, trying to argue faith when everyone around argued facts, but she still improved..The update detailed a "rollercoaster of setbacks"—including infections, additional surgeries, and leaks—yet noted Maya is "back on track again." She remains without movement on her entire right side, cannot speak, and struggles to swallow, but shows limited deliberate motion on her left: kicking one leg, throwing one hand, turning her head (a new development), and mouthing "ow."The surgery is hoped to facilitate a move out of ICU, though a new brain infection—leaking from previous stitches and visibly growing—raises concerns about potential further setbacks. "To be determined," Edmonds wrote. "I'm sad for her that she has another hill to climb, and also slightly in awe... She keeps getting sedated, and this may be the most coherent and deliberate movements I've seen her make... grabbing her sore head, and grabbing at me while I tell her it will be ok someday."."She has come a long way since the beginning. And now she is aware of herself and surroundings," Edmonds wrote in an earlier post, in which she 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: Another update provided on Maya Gabela, the Tumbler Ridge hero who is still fighting

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