Prosthetic skull surgery scheduled for Tumbler Ridge shooting victim

TUMBLER RIDGE, B.C. — A prosthetic skull surgery has been scheduled for a victim of the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School shooting. 

According to an update posted to Maya Gebala’s GoFundMe page on April 23rd, Cia Edmonds, Gebala’s mother, updated that Gebala is scheduled to have her prosthetic skull cap surgery on May 5th. 

This comes after Gebala’s fourth surgery for a prosthetic skull was delayed due to complications. 

Gebala was airlifted to the B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver after she suffered gunshot wounds to her head and neck during the February 10th school shooting in Tumbler Ridge.  

Gebala was initially scheduled to have her surgery in March, but it did not happen as her sutures began to leak. 

In Edmond’s April 23rd update, she said: “We are hopeful that with that finally closed, it will help regulate her cerebral fluid accumulation and remove the pressure from the left eye, maybe we will get to see both her big blue eyes soon.” 

Also, Edmonds updated that Gebala has had her feeding tube removed and now has a gastrostomy tube. 

“I know she is grateful as she’s removed it three times now on her own,” Edmonds said. “She is showing strong signs that she will learn to swallow again, she’s made big progress, so for now, she gets her nasal cavity back.” 

She said Gebala’s motor skills are improving, but her right arm and leg still don’t work. 

“[That is] indicative of a stroke, but if she tries real hard, she can squeeze your hand, if you tickle her foot, her toes wiggle,” Edmonds added. 

In addition, although Gebala is unable to speak or grunt, she does make audible noises when she exhales. 

“After the last surgery, the surgeon who had recapped the events said…she might never be able to articulate language again due to the area that is damaged, so she may never talk,” Edmonds explained. “He then followed it by saying he doesn’t want to tell us what she may not do, because she has continued to prove them wrong anyways.” 

Edmonds said Gebala has maintained her “absolute” focus on her friends and has shown her determination. 

“Until that moment, I hadn’t seen her focus on anything for an extended period of time,” she added. 

Edmonds also addressed other accounts who have posted false information and asked the community to report those accounts. 

This comes after Edmonds shared on a social media post on March 25th that Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White had offered to pay for her daughter’s treatment in California.

She said: “We haven’t left Canada. The process of transferring hasn’t been easy, to say the least. However, you will hear it from us first if or when we do.”