After two months of intense uphill battle to recover from a bullet wound sustained in the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting, 12-year-old Sophia Forchas has been released from the hospital.
“Today marks one of the most extraordinary days of our lives!” her parents, Tom and Amy Forchas, said in the Oct. 23 update on GoFundMe. “Our beloved daughter, Sophia, is coming home!!”
Sophia had been receiving treatment at Hennepin Healthcare and later at Gillette Children’s Hospital since the deadly Aug. 27 shooting in Minneapolis. In a Sept. 5 update, Dr. Walt Galicich, chief of neurosurgery at Hennepin Healthcare, had said that a bullet was lodged in Sophia’s brain and that she was in a medically induced coma.
She was in critical condition for two weeks, but as treatment continued she showed signs of making a recovery. In mid-September, as her condition continued to improve, the hospital upgraded her condition from critical to serious, and on Sept. 22, her family announced that she would be moved from acute care to an inpatient rehabilitation program.
This week, Sophia was able to embrace her friends again in a special visit outside of Annunciation Catholic School.
A crowd of classmates, friends, teachers, and community members welcomed her in the Oct. 23 stop on the way to her home. The school posted a video to Facebook showing Sophia stepping out of a white limousine and walking over to hug her friends, to the cheers of many.
“Seeing her smile and feel the embrace of her school family was a beautiful reminder of the strength and heart of this community — and our future filled with hope!” Annunciation Catholic School wrote. “Welcome home, Sophia! We’re so grateful you’re here!”
According to news outlet KFGO, Sophia has been in recovery at Gillet Children’s Hospital in St. Paul, and on her way home she also stopped at Hennepin Healthcare, where she was greeted by her care team. The outlet also reports that Sophia is celebrating her 13th birthday this weekend.
A police motorcade escorted the family home, according to KSTP 5, an ABC affiliate.
The Forchas family said in the Oct. 23 update that Sophia’s road to full recovery will be long and supported with outpatient therapy.
“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,” they said. “Each step she takes is a living testament to the boundless grace of God and the miraculous power of prayer.”
The family expressed gratitude for the prayers that have poured in from around the world for Sophia.
“Your prayers have been a wellspring of comfort, hope, and healing for our entire family,” they said. “We are certain that God heard every single one.”
The family also spoke about their own prayers for the victims who died in the shooting, Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Motski, 10, and for everyone who is grieving.
“Even in the midst of this profound joy, our hearts remain tender. We continue to pray for those whose lives were tragically lost on that heartbreaking day,” they said. “May their memory be eternal.”
“We also hold close those who were injured and bear lasting scars, and the families and loved ones forever changed,” they said. “May God grant healing, consolation and His peace to all who grieve. To those whose hearts are hardened in despair, may the grace of the All-Holy Spirit soften them. We pray that the Trinity fill the world with compassion and love.”
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