Additional Coverage:
- Girl critically injured in Minneapolis school shooting making ‘miraculous’ recovery, family says (cnn.com)
Twelve-year-old Sophia Forchas continues to defy odds in her recovery from a gunshot wound to the head sustained during the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis last month. Her family released a statement Monday through Hennepin Healthcare, where Sophia is being treated, expressing their joy at her progress.
“We’re thrilled to share that Sophia continues to make steady progress, showing promising signs of neurological recovery,” the family announced. Sophia is scheduled to transition this week from acute care to an inpatient rehabilitation program. While acknowledging the long road of therapy ahead, her doctors remain “cautiously optimistic” and inspired by her resilience.
Earlier this month, Sophia’s neurosurgeon, Dr. Walt Galicich, described the severity of her injury – a bullet lodged in her brain causing significant damage and swelling.
He had initially considered her recovery a “miracle.” Dr.
Galicich performed a complex surgery, removing part of Sophia’s skull to alleviate pressure on her brain. Sophia was then placed in a medically induced coma, with doctors hoping her young brain would heal.
Sophia and her younger brother were at school when the shooting occurred. Their mother, a pediatric critical care nurse, was unknowingly starting her shift at the very hospital where many of the victims, including her own daughter, would be taken.
The shooter, a 23-year-old former student of the school, fired into the building, tragically killing two and injuring 21. He later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Sophia’s family requests continued prayers for her recovery, stating, “It is by God’s will that she has come this far.”