How Molly confounded all the experts

Last June, Molly Towne gave a speech at her sixth-grade graduation from St. Clement's Regional School in Saratoga Springs. What's unique about that is not so much the content, but that she was able to give it at all.

During her breech delivery 13 years ago, Molly was deprived of oxygen for 15 minutes, which resulted in brain damage. The doctors could make no promises about her survival.

The first few months of Molly's life were spent in a coma. Her parents were told they should begin to consider a nursing home facility for their infant. Instead, they began thinking about her schooling.

Difficult times

Molly, the fourth of Susanne and Stephen Towne's six children, was blind for the first year of her life, couldn't walk until age two, and didn't speak until she was nearly three. At the time of her birth, the Townes had already chosen St. Clement's as the school their children would attend.

"We were committed to Catholic schools," Mrs. Towne said. "We both went to Catholic schools. One of my biggest concerns for Molly was Catholic school. Children need to know prayers and love of God. Everything else was extra. We felt safe at St. Clement's. I wondered what path Molly would be on but trusted that God would show us the way."

That "way" has gone through St. Clement's and into seventh grade at Saratoga Central Catholic Junior/Senior High School.

Church and state

Molly's schooling has, Mr. Towne says, "created a marriage of Church and state that has been successful."

Her education required the cooperation of the Saratoga Central School District, St. Clement's, Saratoga Central Catholic and the Towne family. When Molly was still a toddler, Mrs. Towne went to the school district to see if a Catholic school education was possible.

"I knew we didn't have special ed at Catholic schools," Mrs. Towne said, "but we were aware of the possibility of help coming to St. Clement's."

Molly spent part of the day at St. Clement's and then took a bus to the public school for her special services. A recent change in the law allows services to be provided on site, and she receives them at Saratoga Central Catholic.

The change pleases her parents. "For Molly, success in learning was tied to emotional stability," Mrs. Towne said. Being taken out of the classroom interfered with that. Her parents and the teachers at St. Clement's saw a difference in Molly when she didn't have to leave school for services.

Moving on

While things were working well at the elementary school level, her mother was concerned about where Molly would go for junior high. Mrs. Towne approached Ed Hammond, principal of Saratoga Central Catholic.

"I didn't think it could work at Spa Catholic," Mrs. Towne said, but he had other ideas. "He said we had a few years to plan and spoke to the teachers and the board."

"I knew the family and that the level of commitment was there," Mr. Hammond said. "This is a grand experiment for us, and it's proven to be beneficial."

Molly's education has shown that it is possible for handicapped children to receive a Catholic school education, and that public and Catholic schools can work together. But Molly's life, Mrs. Towne said, has shown what can happen with faith in God.

"We had to keep our eyes on Jesus," Mrs. Towne said. "God showed us the path."

Miracle life

"We see everything she does as a miracle," Mrs. Towne said of her daughter, who is labeled multiply handicapped. While faith has sustained them, Mrs. Towne admits it hasn't always been easy for her as a parent.

"Parents of handicapped children have a special path," she said. "There were times I needed reassurance. Molly's path was so different from her brothers and sisters."

One day early in Molly's schooling, Mrs. Towne was unsure of their choice to keep her in Catholic school. Molly's neurologist told Mrs. Towne: "Molly has amazed us from the moment she was an infant; why would she stop now?"

From that moment, Mrs. Towne was content with her decision.

Changing plans

Molly has continued to impress her family and teachers. Not only was she able to address her graduating class last June, but she has also succeeded in her assignments at Spa Catholic.

"What she's been able to do has made us change our plan," Mr. Hammond said. "We had planned a much lighter schedule for her. We're willing to try anything. She has confounded us already. She's lucky to be alive. I don't think anyone expected this. She's constantly pushing the limits. It's fascinating."

Molly has also continued to surprise people with her physical skills. This girl who had no use of her lower body for the first two years of her life and who needed major spinal surgery two years ago is now on the girls' basketball team.

Gifts to give

Mr. Hammond is pleased by the addition of Molly to the school community.

"Her innocent honesty is the most refreshing part," the principal said. "She lays it on the line. A teacher recently said, `She is such a gift.' That's true; she is such a gift."

While Molly has been a gift to her family and the Catholic schools she's attended, she also has an appreciation for the gift of Catholic school education that she received.

In her graduation speech, Molly said: "When I was born, I was sick in a way that made it very difficult for me to learn things in the way most other children do. As a matter of fact, my Mom and Dad didn't even know for sure if I would be able to go to the same school my sisters and brothers are able to go to. And that school was this school, St. Clement's School.

"So as you can see I did go to the same school that my brothers and sisters have been able to go to. But that didn't just happen. It was because of the kindness and love of many people that I was able to be a student here."

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