Full Breakdown
Maya Gebala Released After 262 Days of Hospital Care
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Background: February 10 Tumbler Ridge School Shooting
On February 10, a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia left eight victims dead, the shooter, and several students critically injured. Thirteen-year-old Maya Gebala was among those shot three times—in the head, neck, and elsewhere—and was airlifted to BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. The incident also injured fellow student Paige Hoekstra, who was later discharged to recover at home.
02
Recovery Timeline and Medical Interventions
- Day 0 (Feb 10): Maya is airlifted to BC Children’s Hospital. Doctors initially warn that she may not survive the night.
- Day 145: She smiles intentionally while playing thumb war with her father, David Gebala.
- Day 238: She is weaned from mechanical ventilation and begins breathing independently.
- Day 251: She opens an eye, moves it, and shifts her leg.
- Day 262: She is discharged from the hospital after five surgeries, including a cranioplasty that installed a prosthetic skull segment.
During the stay, Maya underwent intensive rehabilitation, learned to communicate via an iPad with yes-or-no buttons, and regained her voice 61 days before discharge. She spent her first outdoor moments outdoors eight days after removal from ventilation and celebrated her 13th birthday at a Foo Fighters concert in September.
03
Family Statements and Community Support
He noted that the family had relied on public encouragement and that Greater Vancouver REALTORS and the law firm Rice Parsons Leoni and Elliott LLP pledged a year of housing assistance to keep the family near the hospital. Mother Cia Edmonds reported Maya’s progress with the iPad communication system and her increasing ability to respond deliberately.
04
Verbatim Quotes
- “There was never a day I stopped believing we would get here,” — David
- “Now it's time to leave these hospital walls behind and keep moving forward, Maya Bear,” — David