How to Help: Tumbler Ridge Shooting Relief

From Cia: As we slowly make our way through 1000+ letters and envelopes, letters, and get well cards, it make me so emotional to see the love for us and maya from around the world. There are beautifully written poems, gifts, prayers, and very personal stories. I wish I could thank each person individually, maybe one day. I just want to say thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. The donations, gifts cards, and all, have made it possible for me to be here at Mayas side every single day. Thay gift is absolutely priceless. We have a long road ahead, I can say that with much more clarity now. Eventually, we will need to find a home close to the hospital, which isn't cheap here, unfortunately. We may need a chair lift, a new vehicle, maybe round the clock care... the maybes go on.. All I know for sure, is the present and future are alot less dark, when there is potential for new beginnings. Thank you, thank you so much ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

From Cia Just Now: Oooooh wow. So. Today, I got some good news (finally) the sample from her abcess has no cultures.. still.. but it ALSO hasn't grown in size... Thats a good sign (not a promise) that its potentially dead and just needed to be removed... So.. Today, we hada meeting about finally leaving ICU The first time anything has been said that ISNT emotionally debilitating. Im so incredibly proud of my baby girl. She is SUCH a fighter... SO MUCH that she was recognized as such, early on. Some news we had waited to share (pending circumstances) After a week of being in the ICU we were contacted by the president of the UFC, Dana White, he'd offered maya full paid medical in one of the world's most top tier hospitals in LA California. For anyone who watches UFC, they put my babes name in the ring. Super cool. The childrens hospital has an extensive brain truama clinic and more resources. However, Maya hadn't been stable enough to travel. Until now. Still tentative!.. Providing nothing serious happens between now and Monday. We may finally start looking towards a future for my girls... Stability and recovery. We can get a better look at what she may need in terms of care.. wheelchairs. Ect... It feels as thought the air got lighter, and maya has some light in her eyes... hope just got a little more brighter.. My fighter... I always said her stubborn hard head will work well for her some day. My biggest baby girl -Livin on a prayer.

From Cia Today: Many people are asking how Maya is doing. I appreciate the all the love she is receiving. She truly is 'living on a prayer' I tend to wait, so I can share information from a place of information and acceptance, instead of frantic and uncertainty. They say rehabilitation is non linear. I cannot express enough, the emotional toll on 'non linear'. roller coaster, isn't quit right.. I imagine the 150 foot drop tower rides, if they came down with the speed of a sludge hammer hitting tempered glass. The initial day, to be told she wont make the night. The following week, despite all medical opinions, she lived. For 8 days she continued to improve, movement, reactions, minimal awareness. Despite the severity of her injury, she defies all odds and improves. Maya had a bullet enter above her left eyebrow, shatter her skull, and drag bone fragments creating a path of destruction and exiting the same. she had another in her throat, with minimal injury. I believe with my entire heart that she was truly 'living on a prayer'. Day 9, she was found to have infections, mrsa in her lungs, meningitis in her brain, immense swelling and a cerebral fluid leak. The tiny spark of her former self began fading. The heavy hand of the sledgehammer hit hard enough to break any hope we had. 2 more surgeries to follow. Extensive healing time. Pain killers. Antibiotics (the heavy hitters), but slowly, she started to come back. bit by bit. i find her aware enough to communicate. I was able to assist in her dietary plan to include more protien, raw greens, prebiotics, probiotics, omegas, and magnesiums. She was extubated.. she was breathing.. she started making faces, the odd smirk, the odd stink eye, and the faces you know that mean hurt. she would lock eye contact and mouth "ow".. her hips and her back from laying around... i hate that she is so sore. I am grateful I am able to know so i can help. The right side of her body was described as being a stroke reaction. We were told she would never be able to move it... However, if you tickle her foot, she wiggles her toes ❤️ and when she is in intense pain, she will squeeze your hand with the right side... its there. she just needs to learn. A month of electrolyte balance, excess cerebral fluid drainage and semi consistent awareness, the shred of hope had become comfort. The drain was removed and booked for surgery to place her prosthetic skull piece she'd had removed day 1.... We were so hopeful, this is it, out of ICU. Thursday, her sutures started to leak... infection. a swollen lump evolves, the size of a robins egg. throughout the night it evolved, she cried in pain, I cried with her, all night long. Friday morning, her new development was roughly the size of a tennis ball. She DID go for surgery, she did not get her prosthetic.. 7 hours we sit and wait, to find out, shed had an abscess burst.. a pocket of infection that went so deep it couldnt be seen. The surgeons spent hours cleaning this out, with no way to be certain. days have gone by, and this infection has no growth. no cultures. With out a biome, there is not anti-biotics. The infection is so far, sterile... So we wait... and wait. What does this mean? It is possible that it had spread from a previous infection, pocketed, having all cultures irradicated by the previous antibiotics. if it is a dead culture, to my understanding, it burst under pressure and just needed to be cleaned... Best case scenario. A second theory, the infection resided and was held off by the antibiotics shed finished the week prior. Meaning, we have to restart them again ....... Hopeful(?) The other theory is, it was a previous infection that had now learned to become resistant. They had started maya on 2 broad spectum heavy antibiotic after week 1. If this is a mutated version spreading, that is now resistant to these antibiotics, that leaves minimal hope for a cure.... it could continue to spread, causing pain, and destruction, potentially even Sepsis.. I guess the scary part is... how do we know? cell count was normal, blood cell count, normal. the pocket doesn't show up any different on a ct scan, just an ominous black blob that could be blood, fluid of any kind.. Maya cannot have an MRI because she has bullet fragment in her brain... imaging is limited.. I held onto her with unwavering pride and hope in her strength, Only to be shattered into a million pieces to hear that, despite her fight, the likelyhood of sepsis shock due to a mutated infection could still call it for her.. Sledgehammer hits the glass, a million tiny pieces of my heart paint the floors with tears.. 4 brain surgeries, a steady ongoing flow of heavy antibiotics, Opioids, Tylenol, nerve pain meds, and muscle relaxers... The last few days, people ask me how Maya is... The last few days I've spent grappling with another fine lining, with a touch of despair. The Truth is.... I don't know..... her bones hurt from laying down so long... I can imagine the slew of meds aren't making her feel any more then barely bearable. My heart feels like its a shriveled raisin, barely beating, and just waiting.. waiting.. I find her in my dreams... she is by a lake, and she is also waiting. the next few weeks, all we can do is watch, and wait to see what happens. How is Maya.... I dont know.. I do worry that, if she can recover from a terrible injury, what will this myriad of hard medications do to her body.. I think... If id forced her to stay alive, only to live several weeks in agony and sadness, I will be filled with guilt. If this isn't resolved in a positive way. It will be mine and Dahlias worst nightmare. I tell Maya that, i am sorry. I tell her she is so strong, she is so so brave.. I tell her, I wish she didn't have to be so strong. I tell her I'm sorry I didn't save her. I tell her, I hope I loved her enough, and no matter what happens, i will always always love her with all the stars in the sky. Be strong a little bit longer my sweet girl. we are all counting on you.

From Cia Today: You know. All I wanted was a life where I could set goals and show my daughter's that you can be strong and accomplish anything if you try. I wanted to love them. I wanted to support them. I looked forward to talks about boys, school, sports, and what else... I looked forward to loving them unconditionally, and being the mother they would call when they're adults, tired with life. Just because they want their mom.. I would give anything to go back. I would give anything to have us whole again. Here over 1,000kms from what was once a home. Even though 'home' itself seems like a dream or a fairytale in a far away land. My heart is shattered into 2 pieces. One piece is broken, and one piece is alone and scared. They feel so far away from me, or what ever the 'me' is that is left. I am an empty vessel, the love I have to give is poisoned with despair. The goals we had feel like a lottery. Any sense of the term 'life' seems unimaginary, out of reach. I have nothing more to give My smallest love hangs in he balance. She deserves to be a kid I watch her, watch kids her age walking together.. She sits small, and hides. She sees herself now as 'different' and undeserving of this normality. She Is a spectator, watching a child's life she once had. Sitting behind the wheel of a life that is out of control. My heart hurts for her, but I try not to cry. Take me back to summer. Take me back to paddleboards and fishing rods and floating in the sun. I Just wanted to love them..... What happened. For every one who's been asking and messaging. I dont have the capacity to hold conversations. It has been grit and determination that pushes maya .. and infections, that set her back a land side.... Today's surgery to have her skull full again, didnt happen... a leaking absess in the center of her brain took over. So far the culture is sterile... Resistant... I have never been so hopeful, just to watch my world and everything I am fall to pieces... I miss you so much maya.. Dahlia and I sit in limbo while we pray to see you make it through this again.... She is angry. So angry. She lost everyone this year... everything.. Her best friend moved, and family home fell apart, her school, and she's cries because she feels abandoned and alone... and she watches the person she admired most. Once unstoppable, she was taken down by an indescribable terror, she cant even talk about. She tells me we dont deserve this. Shes surrounded with sadness and tears. Dahlia darling. I'm sorry. I would give you the world if I could, but all I have is broken pieces. I just wanted to love you. Take me back to summer. Please... I dont know what life is anymore. Im lost without you.