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Accident victim makes miraculous recovery despite terrible odds

Posted at 6:49 PM, Nov 04, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-05 12:03:29-04

PARKER, Colo. -- It wasn't even a year ago when Molei Wright first met with Denver7 while confined to a hospital bed. With tubes everywhere, Wright was alert but couldn't speak. 

Molei was partially paralyzed and internally decapitated after a devastating accident in which she and her boyfriend were struck by a truck while driving a car on Kenosha Pass. 

MORE | Read the original story on Molei's crash here. 

Jeremy was driving. He was hurt, but OK. Molei took the brunt of the crash. It was a stranger who pulled her out of the car. Henry Rodriquez performed CPR on her for 45 minutes. Doctors are saying that's what saved her life.

"We were told Molei had a less than one percent chance to live," said Molei's mother Maureen Wright. "It was awful. We thought we were going to lose Molei."

Despite all the odds, Molei is now home with her mom.

"I think she's been touched by whatever you want to call it," said occupational therapist Diane Rockwell.

Denver7 visited Molei at her home. She was up and moving with Rockwell by her side. She still has trouble getting up and walking on her own. Her wheelchair is still the primary mode of getting around.

"She has Motor ataxia so it's hard for her to control her movement," said Rockwell. "She has some sensory loss in her left side."

Molei has to relearn some basic things, like swallowing and picking up objects.

Molei also has vocal paralysis.

"We've been working really hard on her vocal chord production and breath control," said speech pathologist Stephanie Then. "When I first started with her, I couldn't even hear her voice at all. It wasn't even a whisper. It was just pretty much like air flowing over her lips."

Meanwhile, Molei's hard work and positive attitude have paid off. She was well enough to sit down for an interview.

"I feel good," she said with a grin. 

Molei went on to talk about the accident she has no recollection of. She only remembers waking up in a hospital bed after being in a medically induced coma.

"I was like 'What' Where am I?' Molei explained.

She went on to say the most frustrating thing about being in the hospital was not being able to use her voice.

"Just like wanting to say something but you can't," she said.

Molei remembers when her hero, Henry Rodriquez, came to visit her in the hospital. She heard everything he said, but all she wanted to do was say thank you. Now she can.

"I love him, and like thank you so much. I know that's not enough."

Molei has a long way to go and she knows that. She has a family to back her up and a boyfriend who won't leave her side.

"Tell the people that you love that you love them," he said. "Be grateful for the blessings that you have in your life."

Asked whether love helped get her though, Molei said, "Absolutely. I joke with Jeremy that I'll be the next Olympic swimmer. You never know. Maybe." 

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