Annunciation survivor Sophia Forchas' doctor 'a little more optimistic' she'll survive

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Annunciation shooting survivor Sophia Forchas' father and neurosurgeon gave an update on her condition, which remains critical Friday. 

Update on Sophia Forchas

What we know:

Sophia's neurosurgeon Dr. Walt Galicich and her father, Tom Forchas, provided an update on 12-year-old Sophia after she was one of the 21 injured in the Aug. 27 Annunciation school shooting. 

Dr. Galicich says Sophia came into the hospital with a gunshot wound to the head, and was in critical condition. Her eyes were bilaterally fixed and dilated, meaning the pressure in her head was very high. 

Dr. Galicich continued by saying Sophia could be the third fatality in the Annunciation shooting, but he is a little more optimistic now that she will survive. 

"And if you had told me at this juncture, 10 days later, that we'd be standing here with any ray of hope, I would have said it would take a miracle," Dr. Galicich said in a press conference. 

The bullet still remains in Sophia's head. Dr. Galicich says removing the bullet will not help Sophia's situation and could actually make it worse.

Doctors had to remove the left half of her skull to give her brain room to swell. The bullet's path injured some critical vessels in the brain, and doctors did their best to repair the vessel and stop the bleeding. 

Sophia is now in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). 

Dr. Galicich said that there has been issues with swelling and increased pressure in Sophia's head, but it has been managed fairly well, and things look as good as can be expected. 

Sophia is heavily sedated to help with the pressure in her brain, which is now remaining in a relatively good range, and doctors have allowed her to wake up a bit more. 

Dr. Galicich says there are a few rays of hope in Sophia's condition. She is very purposeful on the left side of her body, has some slight movement in her right leg and has opened her eyes. Her eyes are no longer fixed and dilated. 

Sophia did have a stroke due to her injury, but Dr. Galicich said he doesn't know if she will have any permanent deficits. 

Sophia's young age gives her more of a chance of recovery for her brain, but the bullet in her brain could affect her ability to speak. 

Sophia's doctor calls out lawmakers 

What they're saying:

Dr. Galicich had strong words for lawmakers after the shooting: 

"I hope some day we can get it through the politicians' thick skulls how terrible it is to tell a 12-year-old's parents that their child has been shot. I hope it would get through their skulls, that message, as well as some of these bullets do."

Sophia's father gives a statement

What they're saying:

"Just over one week ago, the world witnessed a heinous act committed by a coward. To carry out such an atrocity against innocent children. Children who are praying during mass is unfathomable. In this horrific act of violence, my daughter, my precious angel, my Sophia, suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Sophia is kind. She is brilliant. She is full of life. She is an innocent child who was attacked while in prayer. 

"Words cannot begin to describe the terror and heartbreak that come with learning such devastating details. These past ten days have been the longest and hardest of our lives. I stand before you today on behalf of my family, to thank every person who helped get Sophia from the pew where she lay wounded all the way to Dr. Galicich's operating room. The speed and coordination it took to make that happen is nothing short of extraordinary. 

"Thank you to Julie. Thank you to Sean. Thank you to Principal DeBoer. Thank you to Matt and Molly. Thank you to Jason and Ryan. And thank you to the countless officers and first responders who arrived on the scene. Your courage, your compassion and your quick action gave Sophia a fighting chance. 

"To Dr. Galicich, thank you. Thank you for using the talents God gave you to save our daughter. Without your skill, your precision, and your attentiveness, Sophia would not be here today. On behalf of our entire family, Dr. Galicich, thank you. 

"To the entire neurosurgery team under Dr. Galicich, his leadership. Thank you. Anyone fortunate enough to learn from him is truly blessed to have such a gifted mentor and healer. To the pediatric critical care team and all the staff in the pediatric ICU. Thank you. Your dedication and attention to detail are why HCMC stands as a premier level one trauma center. Your care has been a lifeline for our family. 

"The final individual I want to thank is my wife. She is the most kind-hearted, selfless and caring human being I have ever known. Her strength is unmatched. She is my superhero. She has not left Sophia's side. She's monitoring every medication, every drip, every vital sign and every detail involved in caring for the most critical patients, our daughter. She is truly the best mother I know. It is honor to be her husband, and I am blessed to call her my wife. 

"Sophia has received prayers from across the globe. It is nothing short of miraculous to know that millions of people have lifted her name in hundreds of millions of prayers. We've heard of prayers from Oslo to Johannesburg, from Sydney to Santiago, from Vietnam to Canada, from Mount Athos, Greece, to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Thank you, thank you, thank you for each and every one of those prayers. Thank you to the clergy from the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church who have led prayers around the world. Your spiritual support has carried us through the darkest days. 

"The Forchas family extends its deepest sympathies and condolences to the Merkel and Moyski families. When I spoke to my 9-year-old son about his schoolmates who were murdered, he had these kind words to say about Harper and Fletcher: 'Harper. Harper is the most kind, and she's just a really nice girl. She had so many friends and is never mean to anyone.' And when I told him about Fletcher, he said, 'Fletcher. Oh, no. He is so good at everything he does. He's friends with everyone and he is such a good friend to all of us.' May the memories of Harper Moyski and Fletcher Merkel be eternal. 

"I want to end by imploring the world, continue to pray. Continue to pray for Sophia. Pray for peace. Pray with vigor. We need you to keep the fervor with which you are praying. 

"And when you pray, move your feet. Moving your feet means one step at a time. It means volunteering your time. It means donating blood. It means listening to someone who is hurting. It means asking yourself, ‘what would Jesus want me to do?’ And if you don't know Jesus, learn to follow him. His path will lead you back to prayer. Thank you to everyone who has helped us through this nightmare. Your courage, your compassion and your love have carried us. Sophia is strong. Sophia is fighting and Sophia is going to win this fight for all of humanity."

Sophia's injuries and support

The backstory:

Sophia was injured in the shooting at Annunciation, according to a GoFundMe page and a post by St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church.

She was critically injured and underwent surgery, the church said. She remains in critical condition in the ICU, the GoFundMe page notes.

Sophia's younger brother was also inside the school during the shooting but wasn't physically injured, the GoFundMe page said.

Meanwhile, the GoFundMe page says Sophia's mother is a pediatric critical care nurse who went to work to help before discovering the shooting happened at her children's school and that her daughter was among the injured.

The GoFundMe page has raised $975,000 as of Friday afternoon. Those funds will be used to help with medical costs, trauma counseling, and "the countless unknowns that lie ahead", the GoFundMe states.