Minnesota Nurse Learns Her Own Daughter Was a Victim in School Shooting Now She’s Finally Going Home
In a moment both heartbreaking and miraculous, 12-year-old Sophia Forchas, the most seriously injured survivor of the August 27 shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, has finally been released from the hospital — two months after being shot in the head.
For her parents, Amy and Thomas Forchas, Thursday, October 23, marked “one of the most extraordinary days of our lives.”
A Family’s Miracle After Tragedy
The August tragedy shocked Minnesota when a shooter opened fire through the church windows during morning Mass, as children celebrated their first week of school. The attack claimed the lives of two children — an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old — and injured 21 others, including 18 children.
Sophia, then 12, was among those rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Her mother, Amy, a pediatric critical care nurse, was already working that morning — in the very intensive care unit where her daughter was brought in. She had no idea that her own child was among the victims.
“To every individual who played a role in Sophia’s healing and recovery: We thank you from the depths of our hearts,” her parents said in a heartfelt statement. “We will never forget the world-class care that sustained her and the commitment of the medical staff who carried us through.”
From ICU to Home — Sophia’s Inspiring Recovery
Sophia’s doctors at Hennepin Healthcare described her condition as life-threatening in the days following the shooting. Neurosurgeon Dr. Walt Galicich revealed in early September that Sophia had been shot in the left temporal lobe, with the bullet lodged in the right occipital lobe. She underwent emergency surgery to remove part of her skull to relieve swelling, and doctors feared she might become “the third fatality.”
But Sophia proved them wrong.
Today, she can walk, talk, swim, and even dribble a basketball, her parents shared proudly. “Her speech improves daily, her personality shines through again, and our hearts are filled with indescribable joy,” they said.
A Community That Never Stopped Believing
Upon her release from Gillette Children’s Hospital, Sophia was greeted with banners reading “Sophia Strong” and birthday wishes ahead of her 13th birthday this weekend. The Catholic Spirit newspaper captured the emotional homecoming, showing Sophia riding in a limousine escorted by police vehicles led by Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.
A GoFundMe campaign launched to support the family has raised more than $1 million, reflecting the incredible outpouring of love from across the country.
Even in their joy, the Forchas family continues to remember those who were lost:
“Our hearts remain tender,” they said. “We continue to pray for those whose lives were tragically taken that day, and for the families and loved ones forever changed.”
Faith, Strength, and a Mother’s Unbreakable Love
For Amy, the nurse who saved countless children’s lives, watching her own daughter fight her way back has been a miracle beyond words.
Sophia’s healing journey is far from over — she continues outpatient therapy and faces a long road to full recovery — but her courage has already inspired millions.
Her story is a testament to hope, faith, and the extraordinary power of love that refuses to give up, even in the darkest of times. ❤️
