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Who is Lydia Kaiser? 12-year-old shot in head at Annunciation gives update on recovery
Lydia Kaiser, 12, who was shot in the Annunciation Catholic School shooting, gave an update on her recovery and return to class.
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Lydia Kaiser was wounded while trying to shield her friend during the Annunciation Catholic School shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in August this year. The shooting killed students Harper Moyski and Fletcher Merkel and injured 21 others.
Who is Lydia Kaiser? Annunciation mass shooting survivor shares update
The 12-year-old shared an update about her return to school on her GoFundMe page: “Thank you all for supporting me, I’m doing ok. I’ve been allowed to return to school which is great because I missed my friends and it was hard to miss out on so much,” Kaiser wrote.
The teenager sustained a traumatic injury, with bullet fragments in her brain. She is now back in class, though she cannot yet rejoin sports. “I still can’t play sports but I’ve been cheering on my friends and running the scoreboard,” she wrote.
She admitted that fatigue still hits her hard. But headaches like those that haunted her the most are less frequent. “My hair is starting to grow back, and it looks fuzzy where they shaved it off for my surgery. I hope it grows back before I start high school. I don’t think it will grow that fast though,” she said.
The GoFundMe aims to raise $460,000 for Lydia's recovery, medical expenses, ongoing care, trauma counseling and more. It has already collected over $420,000.
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Processing grief while pushing forward
Lydia did not shy away from the emotional toll. “Sometimes I think I’m going to wake up from a dream even though I know what happened is real," she further explained. She added, “It makes me angry but I don’t want to let the shooter win.”
This is her final year at Annunciation, her lifelong school. She called it “home and my family.” She vowed: “I’m going to do everything I can to enjoy my 8th grade year.” Her message also carried compassion: “I’m so sad for Harper’s sister and Fletcher’s siblings.”
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From tragedy to policy pressure
As per CBS News, Lydia’s parents were part of the Annunciation community delegation that met with Vice President JD Vance (and second lady Usha Vance) less than a week after the shooting. They read prepared statements urging the White House to treat gun violence as an urgent policy issue.
Survivors and families pushed state lawmakers to act on the matter. Governor Tim Walz tried calling a special session on gun control, but the Minnesota Legislature remains gridlocked, with no agreement yet on how far reforms should go.
FAQs:
What injury did Lydia Kaiser suffer?
She sustained a traumatic brain injury and had bullet fragments surgically removed.
Has she returned to school?
Yes - she is back in class a few weeks after surgery.
Is Lydia Kaiser playing sports again?
Not yet. She is cheering from the sidelines and doing scoreboard duty.
What has Lydia Kaiser's family asked from political leaders?
They called on the White House and state leaders to seriously confront gun violence.
Were there efforts in Minnesota to pass gun reforms?
Yes, but legislative negotiations have stalled - there is no consensus yet.
