No New Medical Update for Sophia Forchas; Family Shares Message of Gratitude

Lead No further update on 12-year-old Sophia Forchas’s condition was issued on September 6, as she remains in critical care at Hennepin Healthcare’s pediatric ICU following the Aug. 27 Annunciation Church shooting.

Nut Graf The Forchas family used social media today to thank the community for its outpouring of support and prayers, underscoring the ongoing uncertainty around Sophia’s prognosis and the importance of continued advocacy against gun violence.

Medical Status and Care Dr. Walt Galicich, the neurosurgeon treating Sophia, last briefed reporters on Sept. 5, noting that although she faces the possibility of becoming the incident’s third fatality, there are “rays of hope” in her progress. A bullet remains lodged in her right occipital lobe; removal is deemed too risky and unhelpful to her recovery. Sophia is awake for increasing intervals, showing purposeful movement on her left side and slight motion in her right leg.

Family Response and Community Support Sophia’s father, Tom Forchas, closed Friday’s press conference by thanking first responders, medical teams, and global prayer networks for giving his daughter “a fighting chance”. Today’s social media message reiterated this gratitude, highlighting a fundraising campaign that has raised nearly $1 million for the family’s mounting medical and emotional care expenses.

Ongoing Vigilance and Calls for Change While Sophia’s condition remains precarious, medical staff continue to control intracranial pressure through a medically induced coma and surgical measures. Advocacy groups and community leaders have renewed calls for stricter gun laws, echoing Dr. Galicich’s plea to policymakers to grasp the human cost of firearm violence.