Sunday's Internet Edition, September 07, 2008.

Brian Weigman, 25, was walking home from a bowling alley on the night of April 13th when the accident occurred. The driver, who initially thought he had hit a deer, turned around and called 911 after he saw Weigman lying on the pavement.

The grim news eventually reached Spencer, where Weigman’s mother, Cindy Lyons, was notified around 1 a.m.

“The Spencer police knocked on my door,” she recalled. “I said ‘Is my son Brian dead or alive?’ They told me he was alive, but really bad.”

Weigman, an employee of Mylan Pharmaceuticals, underwent brain surgery the next morning. His injuries included abrasions to his right arm along with severe head trauma.

“He had two hairline fractures under his skull,” Lyons said. “They cut the skull out and took the front part of the right side of his brain out behind his right ear.”

The section of skull was left out to help alleviate swelling until it was reintroduced during a surgery on Friday.

“He still doesn’t know right now what’s going on,” Lyons said of her son. “He knows how old he is, what his address is, where he was born, but he doesn’t realize he’s had brain surgery.”

Weigman, who was on life support for several weeks, has made remarkable progress since the accident. He first spoke about a week and a half ago, telling his mother that he loved her, and is beginning to walk with assistance. He had his first food and drink on Tuesday.

“He’s doing a lot better,” Lyons said. “God has already answered a lot of our prayers. I hope He will continue to do that and bring Brian back to us.”

Weigman will have to wear a neck collar for two or three more months, his mother said, and will be transferred from Ruby Memorial Hospital to HealthSouth for physical and speech therapy.

“I have no idea,” Lyons said of the duration of her son’s hospital stay. “It could be three months, six months, a year, a couple of years. I have no clue whatsoever.”

Weigman, a 2000 RCHS graduate who was a basketball and track standout, was a fitness buff who walked and jogged frequently and worked out on a daily basis. Doctors said his excellent physical condition helped him survive.

“They gave me pretty much the worst case scenario,” Lyons said of the long-term prognosis. I told them they didn’t know my son. I think he’s beat all the odds so far.”

Lyons is disabled. She has stayed in Morgantown for a majority of the time Weigman has been in the hospital. Her mother is staying at home with her other son, an RCHS freshman.

Lyons said she has turned to Weigman’s athletic background in an attempt to provide motivation during his recovery.

“I tell him ‘this is for your life,’” she said. “‘You’ve got to win this one.’”

Those who would like to help the family with expenses may call their home in Spencer at 927-3328.