Tumbler Ridge shooting victim’s left eye ‘gradually improving’

TUMBLER RIDGE, B.C. — A survivor of the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting is continuing to recover in the hospital. 

According to a post on Maya Gebala’s father, David Gebala’s, Facebook page on June 2nd, Maya’s left eye, which has been closed for a long time, has been gradually improving and now opens about halfway, with both eyelids blinking together. 

Maya was one of the survivors of the February 10th Tumbler Ridge Secondary School shooting, which claimed the lives of eight people. 

She was airlifted to the B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver after she suffered gunshot wounds to her head and neck during the shooting. 

Maya recently underwent a cranioplasty for a prosthetic skull, which was a success.  

“Many of you have been asking about the condition of Maya’s left eye,” David said in his June 2nd update. “I wanted to wait until we had her ophthalmology appointment and some real answers before sharing an update.” 

Maya had her ophthalmology appointment on June 2nd, and the family received the results in the afternoon. 

The post said Maya’s right eye has remained open and shows no damage. 

“She tracks well with it, which confirms she can see out of that eye,” he noted. 

The doctors diagnosed a left cranial nerve palsy, which specifically involves the third cranial nerve. 

He explained: “This nerve helps control the eye’s ability to move inward, toward the nose, and upward.” 

“Because all the nerves work together, they don’t believe this will be completely debilitating; it may just make the eye a little ‘lazier’ than the other. The third cranial nerve also has to do with her eyelid opening, which is why it may not be fully open, but time will tell.” 

The post said Maya’s right eye dilates when light is shone in her left eye, which David said shows communication between both eyes. However, her left eye currently does not react to light. 

“They also noticed something on her optic nerve that they’ll monitor with a follow-up in six months, but overall, they are optimistic that she can see out of her left eye as well,” David said. “Every single day, we get another little piece of our girl back. I’m so proud of her strength and progress.”