„Großer Tag“ für die Überlebende der Schießerei in Tumbler Ridge, Maya Gebala

>’Big day‘ for Tumbler Ridge shooting survivor Maya Gebala

>’I was finally able to wrap my arms around my daughter. Really wrap my arms around her and hold her tight,‘ wrote Maya’s father David Gebala on social media Last updated 3 hours ago Maya sits in a chair looking at the camera. Maya Gebala at B.C. Children’s Hospital, where she continues to recover from gunshot wounds. Photo by David Gebala /Facebook

>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.

>“Our time in the PICU, for lack of a better word, has been a whirlwind filled with both highs and lows for Maya, but slowly we’re making some more progress,” he wrote. “And then came a moment today that completely overwhelmed me. OT and physio came in and, with their help, Maya 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. Sunrise presented by Vancouver Sun Banner

>“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 spree that killed five of her fellow students, one teacher, and wounded 27 others. Van Rootselaar also shot 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 he 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. One of Maya’s closest friends, Christina Walker, was sitting at a computer in front of Maya and Abel Mwansa — another student who was killed — when they were both shot.

>“Christina managed to crawl under the computer desk they were at, and drag Maya and Abel underneath. She was trying to hide, and hide them. She held them and tried to slow the bleeding,” Edmonds wrote. “Abel was able to tell Christina, to ‘Tell my parents I love them.’ This girl, this child … carried those words on her shoulders, and scarred them heavy in her heart, and brought them to Abel’s parents. She delivered a promise, she will likely never forget.

>“That is a hero … a true hero. … The people forced to face this. … Especially the children, who were forced to watch this unfold and carry this with them in life. My heart is so heavy for you. You don’t deserve these memories.”