12-year-old Tumbler Ridge shooting survivor leaves hospital, communicates via tablet

Maya Gebala, the 12-year-old girl shot three times in the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting in February, has begun communicating using a tablet after months of hospitalization.

Her mother, Cia Edmonds, posted this week that Maya has made "incredible strides" in her recovery, particularly over the past week. "It just clicked," Edmonds wrote. "Her responses, her reactions. I made her a 'yes/no' button set she's learned to use. I found an app on her iPad for non-verbal communications. She's learned to be more deliberate with that as well."

Maya was shot in the head, neck, and body during the February 10 attack that killed eight victims in the northeastern B.C. town. She survived the head wound because she tucked her head down as she was bitten by the shooter, taking punctures to her face rather than her neck.

Since the attack, Gebala has undergone at least five surgeries, including installation of a prosthetic skull piece. Her recovery hasn't been straightforward, and she developed a fever that she has since recovered from. But the ability to leave hospital grounds marks a significant milestone.

"Now that we can leave hospital grounds, she gets to experience life again," Edmonds said. The family has focused on letting Maya rest and recover at her own pace, using simple comfort measures like straw bedding in her stall to minimize stress.