A seven-year-old girl living with a rare genetic disorder is facing a difficult recovery after being critically wounded in last week’s school shooting in Oregon, where four people were killed.
Saylor Graham-Poarch, who has spent her life confronting severe physical and developmental challenges, was among the children caught in Thursday’s attack at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend.
She survived the shooting, which left three students and a teacher dead before the teenage gunman was killed by police.
However, Saylor sustained critical injuries and now faces a long and painful rehabilitation, according to a close family friend.
‘She is in recovery and it will be a long road for her and her family,’ Trisa Lovejoy, a close friend of Saylor’s family, told The Oregonian.
‘Saylor is an amazing spirit and represents joy and love and unbridled happiness. She is loved and supported by her family all around the world.’
The tragedy has also prompted an enormous wave of public support. Thousands of donors have contributed more than $845,000 through two fundraisers created to assist Saylor’s family.
Saylor was born with CASK, an exceptionally rare genetic condition that disrupts brain development and may result in profound physical and cognitive disabilities.
Seven-year-old Saylor Graham-Poarch was critically injured in Thursday’s deadly shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, where four people lost their lives
Born with CASK, a rare disorder that affects brain development, Saylor has spent her childhood overcoming significant physical and cognitive challenges
A makeshift memorial was placed outside Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, after Thursday’s shooting killed three students and a teacher
A research organization focused on the condition says fewer than 600 people worldwide have received a CASK diagnosis.
She often relies on a wheelchair and has endured substantial medical difficulties throughout her young life.
Still, friends and others who know Saylor say her infectious joy has made a lasting impression on people around her.
Two years before the shooting, Saylor became the central figure in a community program created to support children facing serious illnesses and medical conditions.
She was chosen as Bend Senior High School’s 2024-25 ‘Sparrow’ through Sparrow Clubs, a nonprofit program that pairs students with children living with life-changing illnesses or disabilities.
The initiative encourages high school students to volunteer locally and earn sponsor donations, which are then directed toward the featured child and their family.
A moving video created for the program in December 2024 introduced Saylor to residents and highlighted the obstacles she had already overcome.
‘Living with CASK is full of unknowns, which can be very hard and scary for my whole family, but it doesn’t keep me from smiling, laughing and living with joy!’ read text accompanying the video.
Saylor is pictured in her wheelchair with her mother, Danielle. Fewer than 600 people worldwide are known to have the rare condition, which can severely affect mobility and development
Despite her lifelong medical challenges, Saylor is known for her infectious smile and joyful personality, with loved ones describing her as a little girl who never gives up
The recording also revealed some of the simple pleasures that bring happiness to Saylor’s life.
She loves watching the animated children’s television series Bluey and spending time with other youngsters, particularly her brother.
Despite her medical struggles, the video delivered a message of determination.
‘Even with these challenges, I prove every day that I’m a fighter who doesn’t give up,’ the text reads. ‘I hope that my story reminds you that you are bigger than your challenges, and that you too, can overcome.’
Now, nearly two years later, those words have taken on heartbreaking new significance.
Instead of enjoying another ordinary school day, Saylor was rushed to hospital following one of the deadliest attacks on an Oregon elementary school in recent years.
Authorities initially described her condition as critical, while a fundraising appeal established on behalf of her family said she was fighting for her life.
The GoFundMe, organized by a business partner of Saylor’s family, described the immense practical and emotional burden confronting her loved ones.
‘Their child is now in critical condition, and the family is focused on being at the hospital while their child fights for their life,’ the organizer wrote.
The appeal explained how relatives were juggling hospital visits, caring for Saylor’s sibling and keeping their household running while being unable to work normally.
‘Right now, they are carrying the impossible weight of traveling to and from the hospital, staying near their child, caring for their other child, trying to keep up their household, and missing work during this crisis,’ it stated.
Donations will help pay for accommodation, transportation, lost income, household expenses and pet care while the family remains focused on Saylor’s treatment.
‘In a moment like this, no family should have to worry about how they will manage the practical day-to-day costs that keep piling up while they stay by their child’s side,’ the fundraiser added.
Saylor has undergone medical treatment throughout her young life, but now faces another difficult battle as she recovers from critical injuries sustained in the school shooting
Community members gather to leave flowers and write messages at a makeshift memorial in front of Silver Rail Elementary School
Meanwhile, the community that once rallied around Saylor through Sparrow Clubs has again come together to support her.
Central Oregon Sparrow Clubs paid tribute to the little girl in an emotional social media post Friday.
‘She is a beam of light and made a tremendous impact on this entire student body,’ the organization wrote.
Support has also poured in from families across the world affected by CASK, whose rarity means many parents rely on a close-knit international network for advice and encouragement.
Project CASK, a nonprofit advocating for research into the disorder, organized a virtual prayer gathering Sunday evening and urged supporters to contribute to the family’s fundraisers.
‘Saylor, you are loved. We are with you. Keep fighting, sweet girl,’ the organization wrote.
‘Across the CASK community, that love is surrounding Saylor and her family right now, and every family in Bend grieving a child or loved one, and every person who will carry that day with them.’
