Maya Gebala is being released from the hospital, father says: ‘Never a day I stopped believing’
The father of Tumbler Ridge shooting survivor David Gebala says his daughter Maya, who was severely injured in February, is being released from the hospital.
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In an emotional post on social media, he said it has been 262 days since she was airlifted to the BC Children’s Hospital. He recounted in the post on X Thursday that he was told at the time, presumably by doctors, that “we don’t think she’s going to make it through the night.”
He added, “Since then, I’ve watched you fight for every single one of those days.”
262 days.— David Gebala (@DavidGebala) October 29, 2026It’s been 262 days since you were airlifted to BC Children’s Hospital.
262 days since we were told, “We did everything we could, but we don’t think she’s going to make it through the night.”Since then, I’ve watched you fight for every single one of those days.
Maya has had several emergency surgeries, infections and other struggles during her hospital stay.
“179 days ago, your prosthetic skull was placed. Your fifth surgery, and the one that finally stuck. After that, things slowly began to feel possible again,” wrote David.
Eventually, he said he saw his daughter smile, was able to take her off the hospital grounds briefly, and was even able to celebrate when she turned 13 in September.
“There was never a day I stopped believing we would get here. The road ahead is still long, but this is a milestone no one thought we would reach,” he said.
He called Maya “the bravest person I know” and an inspiration.
“Look at you, my girl. You blew every expectation out of the water,” he concluded, adding that he was grateful for all of the medical professionals who helped her along the way and all of their supporters. “Now it’s time to leave these hospital walls behind and keep moving forward, Maya Bear.”
The post also included a video showing Maya, wearing sunglasses and smiling and gesturing happily, as she received the news that she would be released from the hospital.
In February, Jesse Van Rootselaar, a former Tumbler Ridge Secondary School student, killed eight people, including six children, and injured dozens before committing suicide.
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