12-year-old Maya Gebala has been rushed into emergency surgery again after her condition suddenly worsened following multiple previous procedures. Doctors are fighting against every minute, while her family says the situation is extremely critical — hanging between hope and the worst.

In a heart-wrenching update that has left supporters around the world holding their breath, the brave young survivor of the devastating Tumbler Ridge school shooting is once more under the knife at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. Her mother, Cia Edmonds, has been providing raw, emotional glimpses into the family’s nightmare through social media and a GoFundMe page that has raised over half a million dollars in an outpouring of support.

Just weeks after a planned surgery to reconstruct part of her shattered skull was derailed by a leaking abscess deep in her brain, Maya has faced yet another terrifying setback. Doctors discovered the complication — described by her mother as a swelling lump that ballooned to the size of a tennis ball — forcing an emergency procedure to clean out the pocket of infection instead of fitting the prosthetic piece her little girl so desperately needs.

“Maya is a fighter,” her devastated family has repeatedly stressed, but the road to recovery has been paved with one crisis after another since that fateful day on February 10, 2026.

The day that changed everything: Horror at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School

Tumbler Ridge, a small, tight-knit community in British Columbia, was shattered on that cold February morning. What should have been an ordinary school day for Maya — perhaps filled with laughter, lessons, and dreams of playing hockey, a sport she loved — turned into unimaginable horror.

An 18-year-old shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar (also referred to in some reports as Jesse Strang), had already killed her own mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at home before storming Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. Inside the school, the gunman opened fire, killing six people — five students aged 12 and 13, and a 39-year-old education assistant named Shannda Aviugana-Durand — before turning the weapon on herself in an apparent suicide. In total, eight lives were lost, with dozens more injured, some critically.

Maya, then just 12, was among the worst affected. She was shot in the head, just above her left eye, and in the neck. The injuries were catastrophic. Airlifted hundreds of kilometres to BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, she arrived fighting for her life, with severe brain trauma, swelling, and damage that left her unable to speak or move the right side of her body.

Her mother, Cia, later described the moment in raw posts: sitting in the hospital, watching her daughter battle the unimaginable. “Today started as any other. Now, however, my 12-year-old daughter is fighting for her life while they try to repair the damage from a gunshot wound to the head. And one to the neck… She was a lucky one, I suppose. Condolences to the other families during this tragedy. This doesn’t even feel real.”

Friends and family have painted a picture of Maya as a vibrant, resilient girl — a young hockey player full of energy, determination, and kindness. Before the shooting, she was the kind of child who lit up a room, someone her parents hoped would grow up strong, accomplish her dreams, and one day call her mum just to talk about life, boys, school, and sports.

That ordinary future feels painfully distant now.

A series of surgeries and relentless setbacks

Since arriving at the specialist children’s hospital, Maya has undergone multiple procedures. Early on, she required emergency surgery to address dangerous fluid buildup on the brain caused by hydrocephalus. Doctors worked frantically to relieve the pressure and stabilize her.

She has been kept in a medically induced coma in the intensive care unit for extended periods to give her brain the best chance to heal. There have been small signs of hope — moments when she opened her eyes, responded to her mother’s voice, or moved her left hand and leg. At one point, she even managed a brief 20 minutes outdoors in the fresh air, a milestone her family celebrated as a powerful symbol of progress amid the darkness.

But infections have repeatedly set her back “a landslide,” as Cia has poignantly described it.

In mid-March, the family had been gearing up for what was supposed to be a major step forward: Maya’s fourth major surgery. The plan was to insert a prosthetic piece to repair the section of her skull fractured and destroyed by the bullet. It was meant to be a significant reconstruction, helping to protect her brain and move her closer to longer-term recovery.

Instead, doctors discovered a leaking abscess — a deep-seated pocket of infection in the centre of her brain. The procedure was dramatically altered. Rather than the skull repair, surgeons had to rush to clean out the abscess, which had burst and grown alarmingly large. Cia shared the emotional rollercoaster on social media: the family waited seven long hours, only to learn the devastating news that the planned operation couldn’t proceed as hoped.

“For everyone who’s been asking and messaging. I don’t have the capacity to hold conversations,” Cia wrote in one update. “It has been grit and determination that pushes Maya… and infections that set her back.”

Cultures from the abscess initially came back sterile, offering a sliver of relief that it might not be a raging bacterial infection, but the setback was crushing nonetheless. The young girl remains in critical condition, her body battling both the original trauma and these secondary complications.

Medical experts not directly involved in the case have explained to Daily Mail that brain abscesses following gunshot wounds are a known and dangerous risk. Bullet fragments, bone shards, and disrupted tissue can create perfect environments for infection. In a child as young as Maya, with a still-developing brain, every complication carries heightened stakes. Swelling, fluid buildup, and pressure can quickly become life-threatening, forcing doctors into a constant race against time.

A mother’s anguish and a family torn apart

Cia Edmonds’ updates have been heartbreakingly honest. In one particularly raw post, she spoke of the life she had dreamed for her daughters: setting goals, showing them strength and resilience, being there for the big and small moments of growing up.

“All I wanted was a life where I could set goals and show my daughters that you can be strong and accomplish anything if you try,” she wrote. “I wanted to love them. I wanted to support them. I looked forward to talks about boys, school, sports… I would give anything to go back. I would give anything to have us whole again.”

Her heart, she said, feels split in two — one part broken by the tragedy, the other alone and scared as the family stays far from home in Vancouver, more than 1,000 kilometres away from Tumbler Ridge.

Maya’s father, David Gebala, and other relatives have also been by her side when possible, but the strain on the family is immense. The emotional toll of watching a child hover between life and death, combined with the practical burdens of long-term hospital stays, travel, and lost work, is overwhelming.

That’s where the community and strangers from across Canada and beyond have stepped in. A GoFundMe campaign organized by Cia’s cousin, Krysta Hunt, titled “Support For Maya In Her Road To Recovery,” has surged past $507,000 CAD — far exceeding its original $250,000 goal. The funds are intended to ease the financial pressure so Cia can focus entirely on being at her daughter’s bedside without worrying about bills or logistics.

Supporters have flooded the page and social media with prayers, messages of encouragement, and stories of their own. Many have been moved by Maya’s quiet courage — the way she has fought through coma, multiple operations, infections, and uncertainty.

There have even been reports of Maya showing heroic instincts during the chaos of the shooting itself. A local MP highlighted how the 12-year-old tried to help protect or aid classmates who had been shot, a detail that has only deepened the community’s admiration for her.

The wider tragedy: A town in mourning

Maya’s fight is only one part of the Tumbler Ridge tragedy. The small resource town, known for its coal mining history and close community bonds, is still reeling. Families of the six young victims at the school — including 12-year-olds Zoey Benoit, Kylie Smith, Ticaria Lampert, Abel Mwansa, and 13-year-old Ezekiel Schofield — continue to grieve unimaginable losses. The education assistant Shannda Aviugana-Durand was remembered as a dedicated professional who cared deeply for the students.

The shooter’s family was also torn apart, with her mother and stepbrother killed prior to the school attack.

Questions about how such violence could erupt in a quiet community like Tumbler Ridge have led to broader discussions about mental health, school safety, and access to firearms in Canada. Some families, including reports involving Maya’s relatives, have explored legal avenues, with mentions of potential lawsuits related to the circumstances.

Yet for Maya’s loved ones, the focus remains laser-sharp on her survival and recovery. Every small victory — an eye opening, a hand movement, a brief moment in fresh air — is cherished and shared as proof that their girl is still fighting.

What lies ahead: A long and uncertain road

As Maya undergoes this latest emergency surgery, doctors are said to be working with extreme urgency to address whatever sudden worsening prompted the return to the operating theatre. Details remain closely guarded by the family and medical team, but the caption circulating online captures the tension perfectly: time is of the essence.

Brain injuries in children are complex. Recovery can involve months or even years of rehabilitation — physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and ongoing monitoring for complications like further infections, seizures, or developmental impacts. Maya may face permanent challenges with mobility, speech, vision (given the injury near her left eye), and cognitive function.

Her family knows this. They have spoken of the “unknown timeline” for full recovery, if it comes at all. But they also cling to hope, fuelled by the medical team’s expertise, the community’s support, and Maya’s own proven resilience.

In one update, Cia expressed gratitude for the “incredible” messages pouring in, saying they help keep her going when days feel darkest.

Medical professionals emphasize that while setbacks like abscesses are serious, successful drainage and management can still allow for meaningful progress. Maya has already defied dire expectations multiple times — waking, responding, moving.

For now, the family is asking the world to keep praying, to keep sending positive energy, and to respect their need for space amid the exhaustion of constant vigilance.

A community that refuses to look away

Tumbler Ridge may be small, but its spirit in the face of tragedy has been anything but. Vigils, fundraisers, and acts of kindness have multiplied. Hockey teams and schools across the province have honoured the victims, including Maya. Politicians have visited, and strangers have donated to ensure the surviving children and grieving families aren’t left to face the aftermath alone.

Maya Gebala has become a symbol of that resilience — a 12-year-old girl who, even in her most vulnerable moments, has inspired thousands with her quiet fight.

As surgeons race to stabilize her once more, her mother’s words echo powerfully: grit and determination are what push Maya forward. Infections and complications may try to knock her down, but this young warrior — a hockey player at heart — keeps getting back up.

The coming hours and days will be critical. Doctors are doing everything humanly possible. The family is holding on by a thread of hope.

And the world is watching, praying, and rooting for a miracle for little Maya.