A second could have changed her life forever

Alpharetta woman’s life changed in an instant.

Atlanta’s Shepherd Center.

She was there for an entire month without making any progress. With her brain so badly injured, doctors doubted she’d ever walk or talk again. They sent her home with a webcam to document her progress. Perhaps familiar scents and sounds would help, they told her parents.

One day, nearly a month later as her sister, Maureen, played “Jesus Loves Me This I Know” at her bedside, Molly started mouthing the words.

Growing up Catholic, she’d sung that song a million times. Now she was about to realize its meaning.

With the webcam rolling, her parents contacted her doctor with the good news. Their daughter was back.

When it came to anything concerning Molly, Mary and John Welch were always on top of things. As Molly’s doctor looked on, they asked her to pet her toy poodle Biscuit and she did. Brush your hair, they told her. Molly brushed. Raise one finger for yes and two for no, they continued. Molly followed their instructions to the T.

About a week later, she returned to the Shepherd Center for more intense therapy. Three weeks after that, she was released to continue outpatient care at Pathways.

Molly remembered her faith. Prayer preceded every move as she willed herself to keep her balance, to keep going.

“My injury was so severe, I knew nothing could get me through this but God,” she said.

After falling away, Molly accepted an invitation from her mother to join her one Sunday at North Point Community Church.

“I fell in love with God all over again,” she said. “He is at the center of everything I do.”

It would take her nearly two more years before she could return to Auburn to complete work on her degree, but she did. In May 2011, Molly walked across the stage with her younger brother Paul leading the way.

“We graduated on the same day,” she said. “It was so cool. Words can’t describe it.”

Finding a job was hard, but three years later, Molly landed a job doing social media for a Chamblee advocacy company.

She enjoyed talking to people as much as she always did, but it wasn’t the same. No longer able to use her right arm, she struggled to write. Molly decided to use her gift of gab instead and share her message with others.

She was doing that when she met Perkins and Roddy at the Starbucks that fall day in 2016.

When she finished sharing her story, Roddy told her his