Twelve-year-old Maya Gebala continues her extraordinary battle for life at B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, where the latest developments have stirred a mix of heartbreak and renewed hope across Canada and beyond. As of February 18, 2026—eight days after the devastating mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School—her mother, Cia Edmonds, shared a poignant update revealing both fragile progress and harsh realities. Maya has been moved to a new recovery unit in the hospital, a significant step that signals medical acknowledgment of her refusal to surrender. Yet the news carries heavy weight: she still shows no movement on her right side, with doctors comparing the damage to a severe stroke and indicating that function there may never return.

This somber assessment comes amid small but defiant signs of life. Maya moves more actively on her left side—her hand, arm, and leg lifting against gravity in bursts. Sedation has been fully lifted, ending the medically induced coma that once defined her days. In short intervals when she appears “awake,” her eyes flutter, sometimes seeming to track her mother’s voice during gentle foot massages. Breathing support from the ventilator has decreased as she manages more on her own, and swelling in her brain has eased enough for careful monitoring of the stabilized bullet lodged in her neck. No immediate surgery is planned for it, but every vital sign remains under intense scrutiny.

The path forward remains nonlinear and uncertain, as Edmonds has repeatedly emphasized. Brain stem damage from the exit wound and extensive left-side injury complicate predictions about long-term function, vision, or mobility. Pupils still do not react to light, raising fears of permanent blindness, though some left-side tracking offers a sliver of possibility. Risks persist—potential complications from lung fluid, infection, or sudden changes in pressure—yet Maya endures. “This is acknowledgement that she is fighting and refuses to quit,” Edmonds wrote in her latest GoFundMe post, capturing the stubborn spirit that has defined her daughter from the start.

That spirit shone brightest on February 10, when 18-year-old Jesse van Rootselaar entered the school armed and determined. Maya, a Grade 7 student known for her outgoing nature, love of ice hockey (jersey number 14), and protective instincts, rushed to secure the library door to shield her classmates. The lock failed, forcing her under a table where bullets found her: one grazing her cheek and ear, another tearing through the left side of her brain (entering above her eye, exiting the back), and a third embedding in her neck. Classmates dragged her to safety in the chaos that claimed seven other lives at the school—five students and one educator—plus van Rootselaar’s mother and 11-year-old half-brother at their home, bringing the total to eight dead and dozens injured.

Airlifted over 1,200 kilometers to Vancouver, Maya arrived in critical condition. Initial prognosis was dire: emergency surgery stemmed a brain bleed, but doctors prepared the family for the end. “There’s nothing more we can do. Lay with her,” they advised. Yet within 48 hours, Maya coughed, moved her left limbs, and defied the odds. Her parents, Cia Edmonds and David Gebala, have remained vigilantly at her bedside, drawing strength from an outpouring of global support. Edmonds sings to her daughter, reads messages aloud, and shares raw emotions online. “My baby is in there… but how much is left. Time will only tell,” she posted recently, her words echoing the quiet anguish of watching a child’s future hang in balance.

The community’s response has been overwhelming. Maya’s GoFundMe, titled “Support For Maya In Her Road To Recovery,” has surpassed $439,000 from thousands of donors, funding medical needs, rehabilitation, and family expenses. Overall fundraisers for Tumbler Ridge victims have exceeded $3 million, reflecting a nation’s collective grief and solidarity. Hockey communities nationwide have rallied, honoring Maya’s passion for the sport with tributes and donations. Social media overflows with #MayaStrong posts, prayers, and encouragement. One supporter wrote: “She really is putting up a fight. We are ALL with you Maya Gebala. Keep praying.” Cards, letters, and gifts flood her hospital room at Unit 304, 827 W 16th St, North Vancouver, BC V7P 1R2—each one read aloud by her mother to “keep calling her back to us.”

Amid the hope, pain persists. On February 18, Edmonds revealed a heartbreaking theft: someone slashed the tonneau cover on the family’s pickup truck in Tumbler Ridge and stole Maya’s paddle board, possibly golf clubs too. The violation compounded their grief, yet Edmonds expressed gratitude for the broader support while grappling with exhaustion. “I feel I need to apologize at this moment,” she wrote, acknowledging the emotional toll.

Maya’s story transcends one child’s survival; it spotlights heroism in crisis, the fragility of rural mental health resources, and the bonds that unite strangers in tragedy. Van Rootselaar’s history of mental health struggles—multiple hospitalizations, a prior fire-setting incident—underscores systemic gaps in remote areas like Tumbler Ridge. Edmonds, who knew the shooter’s mother Jennifer Strang and once babysat him, has voiced compassion rather than blame: “I truly believe that in her heart she did everything she could.” The family urges focus on healing and prevention over politicized debates.

As Maya fights—through eye flutters, left-side twitches, and unyielding will—her resilience inspires. Other survivors progress too: some, like Paige Hoekstra, head home; others share harrowing accounts of hiding during the attack. But Maya’s journey remains the most precarious and poignant. Doctors caution against linear expectations; setbacks are inevitable. Yet every small victory amplifies hope.

In the shadow of unimaginable loss, Maya embodies defiance. A girl who loved frozen ponds, science projects, and protecting others now battles for every breath. Her family, community, and supporters stand resolute. The road ahead may demand therapies, adaptations, and lifelong care, but Maya has already proven she refuses to quit. To this brave young fighter: the world cheers you on. Keep going, Maya. To the moon and all the stars beyond.