The 12-year-old girl left with a bullet lodged in her brain during the deadly shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic church has finally left the hospital after a “miraculous” recovery — and just in time for her birthday, her family said.
Seventh grader Sophia Forchas was shot in the head during the massacre at the Church of the Annunciation on Aug. 27, leaving her on the brink of death.
In the aftermath of the horrific shooting, which left two children dead and 18 others injured, Sophia’s chances of survival were slim, doctors said — but she made a stunning recovery.
“Sophia surviving this horrific attack is a miracle,” her parents, Amy and Tom Forchas, said in a statement last month. “Her healing progress is nothing short of miraculous.”
Sophia Forchas and her father, Tom Forchas, leave the Hennepin County Medical Center. AP
Sophia Forchas, who was critically injured in the August 27 shooting in Minneapolis. GofundmeAmy Forchas is a pediatric critical care nurse in downtown Minneapolis, where victims of the shooting were taken on the morning of the shooting.
Forchas’ mom rushed to the hospital to help survivors — but she had no idea her daughter was one of the victims, according to the GoFundMe.
Two months later, Sophia is home and safe — just in time to celebrate her 13th birthday.
“Today marks one of the most extraordinary days of our lives! Our beloved daughter, Sophia, is coming home!!” the overjoyed couple wrote yesterday on a GoFundMe fundraiser to help pay for her recovery.
Annunciation Church and Catholic School in Minneapolis, where two children were killed and 17 other people were injured. AFP via Getty Images
Screenshot of a GoFundMe page for Sophia Forchas, where her parents have given frequent updates. Gofundme
Sophia still has a long way to go in her recovery, the Forchases added, but she is showing strong signs of neurological recovery.
“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,” the parents wrote.
Robin Westman, who opened fire at Annunciation Church during mass. via REUTERS
The name of Robert Bowers, who killed eleven people and wounded six at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018, appears in a still image from an undated video that was previously posted to social media and filmed by Robin Westman, via REUTERSTwo children were killed and 17 others were injured in the shooting that targeted the church school where Westman had previously attended and where his mother had worked as a secretary.
Police have yet to determine a motive, but a manifesto Westman posted on YouTube to coincide with the attacks revealed he targeted the school deliberately and had a twisted obsession with school shooters.
