When news of the shooting here in Tumbler Ridge was released, people around the world were shocked and horrified. Many asked what they could do. Some made quilts. Some donated funds to the victim’s families, and one man in particular—Dana White—stepped up to cover the cost of specialized, private rehabilitation for Maya Gebala, who has slowly been recovering in BC Children’s Hospital since the shooting.
White says he saw what happened, and decided to do something so he reached out to the family. “That was it. I wanted to help in any way I could, and obviously situation that she’s in…when you’re a parent you want the best possible care and they wanted to give their daughter the best chance they could.”
While the standard story is that Maya will be going to Los Angeles, White says that’s not officially the case. “There’s some great hospitals in Los Angeles, but there’s a great place in Houston, and there’s a great place in Seattle. So, we’re still working through all that.”
White says the process has been difficult. “It’s not as easy as it sounds. It’s not like some guy with money jumps in and everything just happens. It’s not that easy.”
Still, says White, he and his team have been working on making it happen.
Recently, doctors removed Maya’s feeding tube. Mom Cia Edmonds says she knows Maya is grateful, as Maya “has removed it three times already on her own…”
She now has a Gastronomy tube, aka a G-tube, which features a feeding pouch connected to her stomach. “She is showing strong signs that she will learn to swallow again,” says Edmonds. “She’s made big progress. For now, she gets her nasal cavity back.”
On May 5, Maya is scheduled for a surgery that was cancelled earlier this month, which will be for a prosthetic skull cap. “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,” says Edmonds. “Her motor skills are developing, as she’s watching her fingers tap back and forth. She tries to direct them but they don’t seem to follow. Soon I think.”
Maya still can’t move her right arm and leg. This is similar to what might happen to a stroke victim. That said, says Edmonds, “If she tries real hard, she can squeeze your hand. And if you tickle her foot, her toes wiggle.”
Edmonds says that Maya has severe pain in her right shoulder. “Hopefully as that side starts to find its way, the pain will subside.”
It’s been nearly three months, and Maya still can’t speak. “She can’t even grunt,” says mom. “BUT, she’s made audible noises as she exhales. So that’s a start! She tries.”
Maya’s surgeon says that she might never be able to articulate language again, due to the area that is damaged. “She may never talk,” says Edmonds. “But her surgeon then followed that by saying, he doesn’t want to tell us what she may not do, because she has continued to prove him wrong.”
For the most up-to-date information on Maya’s condition, check out the Maya’s Path to Resilience page on Facebook. Tumbler RidgeLines amplifies the reach of things posted there by sharing news shared by her parents. Do beware the scam sites that share false news and AI images. (See editorial.)
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
