BURST
The mother of Tumbler Ridge shooting survivor Maya Gebala says the family is still in Canada, in an update to her Facebook page.
“We haven’t left Canada. The process to transfer hasn’t been easy to say the least. However, you will hear it from us first thing if or when we do,” Cia Edmonds wrote on her Facebook page, which uses the handle Cia Later .
She continued: “You cant trust what you are reading on other sites For whatever reason, there are other accounts pretending to be us and posting false information. Please report them if you come across them.”
Earlier this month, Edmonds had said the family had accepted an offer from Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White to pay for Maya’s treatment and the family’s accommodation in Los Angeles.
Talking to reporters at a post-fight press conference in Winnipeg on April 18, White said Maya’s parents “wanted to give their daughter the best chance they could, and there’s some great places in L.A., there’s a great place in Houston, there’s a great place in Seattle.”
For now, Maya remains at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver.
Edmonds also gave an update on Maya’s treatment and recovery, noting that the 12-year-old has had her feeding tube removed and now has a G-tube , or gastrostromy tube, which is a tube inserted through the belly that brings nutrition directly to the stomach.
“I KNOW she is grateful, as she’s removed it 3 times now on her own,” Edmonds wrote, adding: “She is showing strong signs that she will learn to swallow again, she’s made big progress. So, for now… she gets her nasal cavity back.”
Edmonds also revealed that Maya is scheduled for surgery on May 5 that will be for a prosthetic skull cap .
“We are hopeful that with that finally closed, it will help regulate her cerebral fluid accumulation and remove the pressure from the left eye, maybe we will get to see both her big blue eyes soon,” Edmonds wrote, adding a blue heart emoji.
“Her motor skills are developing, as she’s watching her fingers tap back and forth, she tries to direct them but they don’t seem to follow,” Edmonds added. “Soon I think.”
She noted that Maya’s right arm and leg are not responsive, indicative of a stroke, but added: “If she tries real hard, she can squeeze your hand… if you tickle her foot, her toes wiggle.”
The family has been told by doctors that Maya might never be able to articulate language again, but noted: “She has continued to prove them wrong.”
Edmonds concluded with a reference to Maya’s younger sister: “I’m so proud of both of my babies for choosing strength is such a dark time. When I myself have had moments that I feel I can’t manage to hold it all up anymore. Their strength is empowering.”
Several hours after Edmond’s post, Maya’s father, David Gebala, also posted to say his Facebook and Instagram accounts had been hacked.
“I’ve spent the past few days working with Meta to regain control and remove the unauthorized users,” he wrote on Facebook. “I want to assure everyone that any posts about Maya were made by me while I still had access to my account.”
He added: “I sincerely apologize for any other posts that appeared during this time those were not from me. Additionally, if you received any messages from me between April 19 and April 22 containing links or asking for money (or anything similar), please know they were sent without my knowledge. I strongly advise you not to click on any links or engage with those messages.”
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