In the sterile halls of BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, a 12-year-old girl lies in critical condition, hooked up to machines keeping her alive after bullets tore through her head and neck in Canada’s ᴅᴇᴀᴅliest school shooting in decades. Little Maya Gebala — affectionately called “Maya Moon” by her heartbroken family — remains unable to breathe on her own, with fragments of bullets still lodged in her brain, as doctors warn the road to recovery is long, treacherous, and far from guaranteed.
The Grade 7 student at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School became a symbol of courage amid unimaginable terror on February 10, 2026. As gunfire erupted through the quiet mountain town, Maya and her classmates desperately tried to barricade the library door against the advancing shooter. According to family accounts, the brave girl was sH๏τ multiple times — at least three wounds to her head and neck — while attempting to lock out the gunman and protect her friends.
“She was trying to save her classmates,” cousin Krysta Hunt told reporters. “They heard the screams and chaos, and Maya and her friends tried to close and lock the door. It was too late. The shooter fired… one grazed her cheek and ear, then the others hit her head and neck.”
Air-lifted hundreds of miles to Vancouver’s top pediatric facility, Maya now battles for survival in the intensive care unit, placed in a medically induced coma to give her battered body a fighting chance. Her mother, Cia Edmonds, has been posting raw, emotional updates on social media and a verified GoFundMe page, sharing glimpses of hope amid the nightmare.
“Still a long road for my Maya Moon,” Edmonds wrote in a recent heartbreaking post. “Swelling is going down… she’s moved — a kick, a hand twitch — but it’s something! She’s still fighting.” Yet the updates also reveal the grim reality: doctors initially warned the family that the brain damage might be too severe for her to survive the night. Bullet fragments remain embedded, complicating surgery and raising fears of permanent neurological damage.
The tiny coal-mining community of Tumbler Ridge — population around 2,400, nestled under the rugged Rockies in British Columbia — is still reeling from the February 10 rampage. 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar allegedly killed his mother and 11-year-old half-brother at home before heading to the school where his siblings attended, unleashing horror that claimed eight lives: five young students (Zoey Benoit, Ticaria Lampert, Kylie Smith, Abel Mwansa, 12; Ezekiel Schofield, 13), education ᴀssistant Shannda Aviugana-Durand, 39, and the shooter’s family members. At least 27 others were wounded, with Maya among the most gravely injured.
In the days since, the town has come together in grief. Candlelight vigils light up the snowy nights, teddy bears and flowers pile high at makeshift memorials, and signs reading “Tumbler Ridge Strong” flutter in the bitter wind. Parents hug their children тιԍнтer, haunted by the knowledge that a routine school day turned into a bloodbath.
Maya’s parents, Cia Edmonds and David Gebala, have remained steadfast at her bedside, drawing strength from an outpouring of support across Canada and beyond. In one emotional interview, they expressed unexpected compᴀssion even for the shooter’s family, urging the nation not to politicize the tragedy but to rally around healing.
“All we want from Canadians is just Maya’s prayers,” Edmonds said. “What everybody in Tumbler Ridge went through that day… please keep her in your thoughts.”
The GoFundMe, launched to help cover medical costs and support the family’s long fight ahead, has seen thousands donate, with messages of love flooding in: “Praying for a miracle for sweet Maya,” “You’re a hero, little one,” “Canada stands with you.”
Yet the prognosis remains uncertain. Medical experts stress that gunsH๏τ wounds to the head and neck carry immense risks — infection, swelling, seizures, and lifelong impairments. Maya cannot breathe independently, relying on a ventilator as neurosurgeons monitor the bullet fragments and brain trauma. Every small movement — a finger twitch, a limb response — is celebrated as a victory, but her mother admits the journey is “long and chông chênh” (rocky and uncertain).
As the investigation continues — with police still piecing together the shooter’s motives amid reports of mental health struggles, an expired gun licence, and disturbing online activity — the focus for many has shifted to the survivors. Maya Gebala, the girl who tried to be a shield for her friends, now needs the world to shield her with prayers and hope.
In a nation still shocked that such violence could strike even in peaceful Canada, Maya’s fight has become a beacon of resilience. Her family clings to every sign of progress, refusing to give up.
Please, keep Maya in your prayers. This brave 12-year-old warrior is battling with everything she has — and the road ahead may be the toughest of her young life.
