MINNEAPOLIS MIRACLE: Catholic school shooting survivor 12-year-old Sophia Forchas returns home

( Post Millennial )

Just days ahead of her 13th birthday, the last hospitalized victim of August’s Annunciation Catholic Church and School shooting in Minneapolis, Sophia Forchas, has been discharged from the hospital. 

Forchas had been shot in the head on August 27, with the bullet being lodged in her brain, injuring critical blood vessels. She had been placed into a medically induced coma and part of her skull was removed to accommodate swelling of the brain.

On Thursday, Forchas, who had been transferred on September 22 to Gilette Children’s Hospital for inpatient rehab, returned to Hennepin County Medical Center with her father inside a limousine after her discharge. Chief of Neurosurgery at Hennepin Healthcare, Dr. Walt Galicich, who led Forchas’ care at HCMC, hugged Forchas and her father, per MPR.

Galicich had said during a September 5 press conference that he was unsure "how this is going to end," but said that the critically injured Forchas had been showing possible signs of recovery.

“We’ve seen plenty of cases, especially in young brains, where the swelling is quite delayed and can get worse over time,” he said. “We're starting to get out of that worrisome window, but we’re not out of it yet.”

A Hennepin Healthcare spokesperson said on September 11 that Forchas was in serious condition, which was an improvement. Less than two weeks later, she was transferred to rehab. 

A Thursday update on a GoFundMe set up to cover Forchas’ recovery, which has raised nearly $1.2 million, said, "Today marks one of the most extraordinary days of our lives! Our beloved daughter, Sophia, is coming home," wrote Tom and Amy Forchas. 

"We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the remarkable medical professionals whose skill, compassion, and unwavering dedication brought us to this moment. To Dr. Galicich and his phenomenal team of neurosurgeons; to Dr. Bjorklund and the pediatric intensivist team at HCMC; to Dr. Gormley and the team of rehabilitation therapists at Gillette Children’s Hospital in St. Paul; and to every individual who played a role in Sophia’s healing and recovery: We thank you from the depths of our hearts. We will never forget your World-class care that sustained her. Your commitment carried us through."

"Sophia’s healing journey continues with outpatient therapy and the road to full recovery remains long. Yet, our hearts are filled with indescribable joy as we witness her speech improving daily, her personality shining through once more, and her ability to walk, swim, and even dribble a basketball. Each step she takes is a living testament to the boundless grace of God and the miraculous power of prayer."