Just days after a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia left multiple children dead and many wounded, 12-year-old Maya Gebala emerged as a rare beacon of hope.
During the attack on February 10, 2026, Maya — a spirited hockey player — was critically shot in the head and neck while trying to lock a library door to protect classmates. Doctors initially feared she wouldn’t survive the night.
Yet by the second day in BC Children’s Hospital, Maya began showing small but extraordinary signs of life: a hand twitch, a leg kick, even her first cough. Her mother, Cia Edmonds, described these movements as miraculous, a glimmer of hope amid heartbreak.
Support poured in from across Canada, with fundraising and messages of solidarity recognizing Maya’s courage and the pride she brought to her hometown.
Doctors caution the road ahead will be long and uncertain, but for her family and supporters, every tiny movement is a miracle — a testament to resilience, love, and the human spirit.