Tiny Abuse Victim Amanda, Once Near Death, Is Going Home Doctors Say Child, Who Was In A Coma, Is Making A ‘Remarkable’ Recovery

Sat., June 21, 1997

By Adam Lynn adaml@spokesman.com

Nineteen days ago, 3-year-old Amanda Welch was in a coma with a brain hemorrhage.

A respirator controlled her breathing. Tubes supplied her food. Few people thought she’d survive.

“The injuries create a high probability of death,” a doctor at Sacred Heart Medical Center told sheriff’s deputies on June 2, the day investigators say Amanda’s enraged baby sitter threw her headfirst into a bathtub.

Even if she did wake up, physicians worried she’d have severe brain damage and wouldn’t be able to function normally.

Today, to the joy of her family and the surprise of doctors, Amanda is being released from the hospital.

“That’s remarkable,” said Pam Pyrc, spokeswoman for St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute in Spokane. “She’s able to feed herself. She’s walking. She’s talking.”

Amanda spent the last week undergoing physical and speech therapy at St. Luke’s after waking from the coma.

Pyrc said Friday the girl has made great strides but will need outpatient therapy for some time. Amanda’s speech is fuzzy, and she does not have full mobility of her right arm, Pyrc said.

“Everybody thinks she’ll regain full movement,” she said. “She’s responding really well.”

Chances are good she’ll lead a normal life, Pyrc said.

Amanda’s aunt, Nancy Cowles, will be taking the child to her home in Reardan. The girl’s mother, Judy Sorenson, transferred custody of Amanda to Cowles a few days after the child was injured.

Sorenson’s attorney said the woman felt she’d made a serious mistake when she left Amanda in the care of her live-in boyfriend.

Lance Brandvold, 38, is accused of hurling Amanda into the tub after she became fussy and threw up on him while he baby-sat her.

Sorenson also realized she had little chance of retaining custody of the girl, who was taken away by state officials once before, attorney Carl Maxey said on June 6.

Attempts to reach Cowles for comment Friday were unsuccessful.

Charged with first-degree assault, Brandvold is being held in the Spokane County Jail.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge this week.

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