For Maya Gebala, surviving a school shooting was only the first battle; her second, a grueling recovery, just received a powerful and unexpected boost from UFC boss Dana White. In February, Canada witnessed a tragic incident in the form of a school shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, which left nine dead, including the perpetrator, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, a former student of the school.

Among the survivors was 12-year-old Maya Gebala, who was struck by three bullets to her head and neck while attempting to lock the library doors to protect her classmates during the shooting. Since then, she has spent over six weeks in intensive care fighting for her life at the British Columbia Children’s Hospital. Now, Gebala’s mother, Cia Edmonds, has stepped forward to reveal the extent of the help Dana White provided them.

“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,” Edmonds’ post on Facebook read. “(He) also offered to pay for a place to stay. For anyone who watches UFC, they put my babes name in the ring. Super cool.

“(B.C. Children’s Hospital) has an extensive brain trauma clinic and more resources. However, Maya hadn’t been stable enough to travel. Until now. Still tentative”

Maya Gebala has had to undergo four surgeries till now, most recently a procedure to place a prosthetic skull, which got postponed, and instead, the doctors performed a different surgery to drain and clean the infection. Maya’s father first revealed the help provided by Dan White back in February, roughly a week after the shooting. However, the true extent of his help was only fully revealed earlier today.

In another tribute to the brave 12-year-old, the UFC emblazoned her name on the upper supports of the Octagon as well as the canvas during the event in Houston in late February. As Maya continues to fight for her life, her family, particularly her mother’s cousin, has opened a GoFundMe to cover expenses. The campaign was set at $250,000, but with widespread support, it has more than doubled, reaching $507,887 so far. Recently, NHL player and Vancouver Canucks star Evander Kane also joined the cause, donating $1,000 to her GoFundMe. Also, prominent MMA journalist Ariel Helwani shared his grief over the entire incident.

This shows that help and support for Maya are pouring in from all over. But as the 12-year-old continues her journey to recovery, her mother has taken a bold step by suing OpenAI.

Maya Gebala’s mother sues OpenAI after the tragic Tumbler Ridge school incident  

Following the mass school shooting at Tumbler Ridge School, Maya Gebala’s mother, Cia Edmonds, filed a civil lawsuit against OpenAI for being partially responsible for the shooting. According to a report by the BBC, the lawsuit alleges that the now-deceased attacker, Jesse Van Rootselaar, created an account on the platform before turning 18, which requires parental consent and OpenAI’s AI acted as a “collaborator” and “confidant” to the shooter.

The lawsuit claims that the attacker used the chatbot for personal conversations, describing various scenarios and sharing information related to gun violence. As per the report, 12 OpenAI employees flagged the exchanges as indicating an imminent risk of serious harm and recommended informing Canadian police. Instead, the company allegedly banned the account and decided not to contact the police at that time.

OpenAI explained that the conversations did not meet its threshold for imminent harm requiring law enforcement involvement. However, it has pledged to work with the government and authorities to reduce the possibility of such tragedies in the future.

“OpenAI remains committed to working with government and law enforcement officials to make meaningful changes that help prevent tragedies like this in the future,” a spokesperson told BBC.

While the legal battle over accountability begins, the support from Dana White and the wider community provides a crucial foundation for the long and difficult recovery that lies ahead for Maya Gebala.