BY ALISON McGUINN / Assistant Campus Editor
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After three weeks in a coma, a month in a minimally conscious state and now seven months of intense physical, occupational and speech  therapies, Molly Welch, a senior in journalism, is recovering one day at a time from her brain injury from a car accident on Feb. 9.

Molly’s accident happened on I-85 at exit 57 in Auburn.

“She was one exit away from the University,” said Mary Welch, Molly’s mother.

Molly had been home visiting a friend who had been out of the country, Welch said.

No one is quite sure how Molly’s accident happened, but Welch believes Molly may have been trying to work on an assignment, because her digital recorder was on during the accident.

“She hadn’t been drinking, there were no drugs,” Welch said. “The only thing we can think of is she bent down to get her recorder to listen, and then it was too late to rectify the crash.”

Welch said Molly hit a pick-up truck at 65 miles per hour, and her car was demolished. Other than a small fracture on her skull and a fracture in her pelvis, the only injury she sustained was a brain injury.

“Since she had tubal lobe damage on the left side of her brain, her right arm needs to be strengthened,” Welch said.

Molly goes to Pathways, an outpatient therapy program in Decatur, Ga., where she does physical therapy, occupation therapy and speech therapy, Welch said.

“As a parent, you are always thinking, ‘How can I get my child well,’” Welch said.

Molly spent the first three weeks of her coma at East Alabama Medical Center. She was then transferred to the Shepherd Center, a rehabilitation center for brain and spinal injuries in Atlanta, which is close to her Alpharetta, Ga., home.

After completing her intense therapy at the Shepherd Center, she now attends Pathways.

Molly was only a semester and a half away from completing her degree when she had her accident.

“She really wants to get back to Auburn,” Welch said. “Everybody in Auburn was so good to us when she got hurt.”

Although Molly is recovering from a brain injury, Welch said there is hope she will be able to come back to Auburn and graduate.

“It usually takes about a year and a half for your mind to come fully back,” Welch said.

Welch said many brain injury patients lose their short-term memory.

“For some reason, Molly never lost her memory,” Welch said. “The only thing she really doesn’t remember is the accident herself.”

Maria Sanders, Molly’s friend since high school and old roommate, said many people did things to help out Molly and her family.

“The journalism department got Aubie to come to EAMC and got Tommy Tuberville to autograph a picture that said ‘Get well soon,’” Sanders said. “Then, my friend Jessica Daniel and I got bracelets to raise money and to keep people thinking about her.”

Sanders said they ordered 1,000 bracelets, and all the bracelets sold.

“I know we are very blessed, she has just been very easy going like she was before,” Welch said.

Molly celebrated her 22nd birthday Nov. 7 with her friends, family and boyfriend, Ben Sears.

Sanders said Ben and Molly have been dating since February 2007. Sears moved to Georgia immediately, before he even had a job, and lived with a fraternity brother on Lake Lanier, Sanders said.

Welch said Sears works during the day and then sees her every night and is very supportive of her.

“I know she’ll be walking soon, she is extremely determined and patient,” Sanders said.

Molly recently got her phone back, and Sanders said she is happy to text and carry on conversations again.

“Even from June to October she has grown incredibly,” Sanders said.

With two other students, Parker Allen and Tyler Blake, who suffered brain injuries from car accidents around the same time as Molly, Welch said she still worries about everyone driving.

“I worry about all you kids,” Welch said. “Just drive safely.”