A Paediatric Critical Care nurse found herself caught between her mother instincts and professional duties when her daughter was rushed to a Minneapolis hospital where she was working in the intensive care unit (ICU).
Sophia Forchas, 12, was one of the 15 children who sustained injuries in a shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser started by her family.
The seventh-grader was critically injured and rushed to the ICU, where her mother was working. She underwent emergency surgery and remains in critical condition.
According to the campaign, Sophia's brother was also inside the school when the shooting occurred. Despite escaping unscathed, he is deeply traumatised after witnessing the violence and his sister's injuries, the fundraiser stated.
Minneapolis School Shooting
The attack was carried out by a 23-year-old gunman, later identified as Robin Westman, at Annunciation Catholic School during a mass on Wednesday, leaving two children dead and 18 others injured.
Armed with a pistol, rifle, and shotgun, the shooter fired through the windows of the church before killing himself, PEOPLE reported.
Joe Thompson, Minnesota's acting US attorney, stated that the killer was "obsessed" with the idea of killing children, per The Guardian.
The family has received support from the local St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis. Father Timothy Sas revealed that he prayed and showed support for the Forchas family at Hennepin.
In a statement on Facebook, Father Sas said that Sophia was born and brought up in St. Mary's parish, where she and her multigenerational extended family are active members of the congregation and immersed in church life.
Sophia's Family Raises Funds
Initiated by Michelle Erickson on behalf of Sophia's father, a GoFundMe campaign was started to help support her family expenses, counselling, and medical care. It has received overwhelming support, raising over $469,540 (approximately Rs 4,11,96,265) at the time of writing.
The fundraising page highlights Sophia's strength and the fact that she "is not alone" while describing her as "bright, kind, and full of life" and acknowledging the lengthy and uncertain journey ahead.
