Minn. Nurse Mom Was Working at Hospital When Daughter Arrived After School Shooting. Now Sophia Is Going Home By Janelle Griffith

A 12-year-old girl who was shot in the head during a deadly attack at a Minneapolis Catholic church in August was released from the hospital Thursday, Oct. 23, in what her parents describe as “one of the most extraordinary days of our lives.”

Sophia Forchas was the most seriously wounded among the surviving children injured in the shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church. A shooter opened fire through the windows of the church on Aug. 27 during morning Mass as children marked the first week of school, killing an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old and injuring 21 others, 18 of them children.

Sophia’s parents, Amy and Thomas Forchas, praised those who treated her in a statement Thursday announcing her release.

“To every individual who played a role in Sophia’s healing and recovery: We thank you from the depths of our hearts,” they said, adding that they will never forget the world-class care that sustained her and the commitment of the medical staff that “carried us through.”

“Sophia’s healing journey continues with outpatient therapy and the road to full recovery remains long,” her parents continued. “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 also thanked people for their prayers and acknowledged the victims and survivors of the attack.

“Even in the midst of this profound joy, our hearts remain tender,” they said. “We continue to pray for those whose lives were tragically lost on that heartbreaking day. 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.”

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Catholic Spirit, a newspaper, posted a video to its Facebook page Thursday of Sophia visiting the hospital where she was rushed after the shooting, following her release from Gillette Children’s Hospital. Medical staff carried banners that said “Sophia Strong,” as well as birthday messages ahead of her 13th birthday this weekend. She rode in a limousine with a police escort led by Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.

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Sophia’s mother, Amy, a pediatric critical care nurse, was working in the intensive care unit of the hospital where Sophia was rushed — before knowing where the attack had occurred or that her daughter was critically injured.

Sophia’s neurosurgeon at Hennepin Healthcare, Dr. Walt Galicich, said in September that she was shot in the left temporal lobe and the bullet remained lodged in her right occipital lobe. He expressed concern at a Sept. 5 news conference, saying Sophia could become “the third fatality.” She had to have one side of her skull removed to quell brain swelling.

Sophia and her younger brother were students at Annunciation Catholic School. Her brother was inside the school during the shooting but was not physically injured, their parents have said.

A GoFundMe launched to support their recovery has raised more than $1 million.