The Church of the Annunciation massacre in the Windom neighborhood of Minneapolis back on August 27 claimed two lives – Fletcher Merkel, age 8, and Harper Moyski, age 10.
In addition to those two students killed, seventeen other individuals were also shot. At press conferences following the tragedy, officials and family members repeatedly asked for prayers as several of the students clung precariously to life.
One such youngster was Sophia Forchas, age 12. With a bullet lodged in her brain, Dr. Walt Galicich operated soon after her arrival to the hospital. In order to reduce the swelling, they had to cut away the left half of Sophia’s skull. Doctors feared she might not make it.
Days after the surgery, Sophia’s mother and father, Tom and Amy Forchas, wrote:
We are asking everyone to keep praying; keep praying with fervor and vigor!! Pray with a vigor that mirrors Christ’s vigorous love for us. Sophia is receiving prayers from Oslo to Johannesburg, from Sydney to Santiago, from Vietnam to San Francisco, and from Mt. Athos, Greece to Minneapolis, MN. We want to empress upon everyone to keep those prayers going. We need everybody to keep praying for Sophia’s recovery.
She is fighting for everybody across the globe! She has a long road of recovery ahead of her. As we are close to getting over this first hurdle we will post further updates when we know more information on her recovery in the long term. As it stands right now we will get test results to tell us what areas of the brain are affected, when and if we can wake her up, and how long this process is projected to be.
It’s been 58 days since the horror of that August in morning, and those prayers offered on Sophia’s behalf have been answered.
On Thursday, Sophia emerged smiling from the hospital and headed home just days before her 13th birthday – but not before stopping at Hennepin Healthcare so she could express her appreciation to the first responders who first rescued her and her classmates.
The Forchas family wrote,
Sophia’s healing journey continues with outpatient therapy and the road to full recovery remains long. Yet, our hearts are filled with indescribable joy as we witness her speech improving daily, her personality shining through once more, and her ability to walk, swim, and even dribble a basketball. Each step she takes is a living testament to the boundless grace of God and the miraculous power of prayer.
We pray a lot as Christians, and for good reason. It was James who wrote, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (5:16). Prayer may not change God’s mind, but it changes us. It deepens our relationship with the Lord. It reminds us that nothing is impossible when God is involved (Matthew 19:26).
Our prayers are not always answered to our satisfaction, but more of our prayers are answered than we likely realize. Just consider where you are today compared to where you were years ago. You’re likely enjoying many of the blessings you asked for back then – but now may all too quickly take for granted.
Sophia Forchas was the last victim of the shooting released from the hospital. Lydia Kaiser, age 12, was released earlier this month and has returned to school. For now, she’s unable to play volleyball and basketball, but she remains on the road to recovery.
Sophia Forchas and Lydia Kaiser are wonderful examples of answered prayer.
Healthy people want a thousand things – but Sophia and her family have wanted just one – to get well.
Wrote Tom and Amy Forchas, “Your prayers have been a wellspring of comfort, hope, and healing for our entire family. Even in the midst of this profound joy, our hearts remain tender. We continue to pray for those whose lives were tragically lost on that heartbreaking day.”
Welcome home and happy birthday, Sophia!
