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Prayer vigil planned for girl hit by car

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BY LORI PILGER / Lincoln Journal Star

Thursday, May 24, 2007 - 10:53:00 pm CDT

When Sheila Thomas heard Molly Lanham, a 5-year-old she knows from church, was hit by a car Wednesday, she felt she needed to do something.

She volunteered answering calls from Southminster United Methodist Church members asking how Molly was doing. On Thursday, Molly was still in critical condition at Creighton Medical Center in Omaha.

The callers knew Molly’s parents, Todd and Amy Lanham, had support in Omaha, where their daughter was flown by helicopter after the 8:30 a.m. accident at 19th and Harwood streets.

Story Photo
Sgt. Dan Schmidt takes photos of the accident scene near 19th and Harwood streets on Wednesday morning. (Michael Paulsen)

Related Link(s):


5.23.07: Kindergartner hit by car
Diagram of what happened from the accident report
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Nancy Connerley, president of the Prescott PTO, said teachers have started circulating a card and collecting donations.

Several other groups have expressed interest in helping, too, including the Lanhams' co-workers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who have begun the process of setting up a fund through Union Bank.

The outpouring has been amazing. Connerley said. Thursday night she helped organize a meeting at Southview Christian Church to discuss the efforts underway.

And, Thomas said, they knew that Molly, who almost danced to the front of the church for children’s time on Sundays, was in good hands medically.

“(But) as her church family, we wanted to do something, too,” she said.

So she thought, why not have a church service just for Molly?

That’s what they’re doing — tonight at 7.

“I think the only thing we can do now is pray,” Thomas said. “And the power of prayer is very powerful.”

Everyone is welcome, she said.

“Molly is such a little light. She is just a delightful little girl,” Thomas said. “And the Lanhams are a wonderful family.”

She said she still sees Molly as the little angel from when the kids did their Christmas play last year.

“She’s just got a sparkle to her,” Thomas said, “and we want that sparkle back.”

The Lanhams have a lot of people pulling for Molly, and for them, she said.

“And that makes a difference, I think.”

The man accused of hitting Molly as she crossed the street to board a school bus was in court Thursday, just long enough for the judge to set his percentage bond at $200,000.

The state hasn’t charged 21-year-old Douglas Maloley of Waverly, but he is due in court today.

Outside the courtroom on Thursday, his attorney, Christopher Furches, said he and his client hope Molly will be OK.

He said Maloley will enter a plea of not guilty today on anticipated allegations of false reporting and leaving the scene of an injury accident.

Police say Maloley was driving on Harwood Street when he hit the girl, who had stepped in front of her mom’s van to meet the school bus bound for Abbott Sports Complex, where Prescott Elementary is having classes during the school’s renovation.

Six minutes after the call came in to police, Maloley allegedly called to report he’d been carjacked, according to police. Authorities determined that report to be false.

Maloley has no criminal record aside from some minor traffic tickets, Furches said.

Reach Lori Pilger at 473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com.


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Tkosmo wrote on May 24, 2007 9:20 pm:
" Because 7,000 miles separates me and my family from Lincoln we can't physically be at the prayer vigil for Molly but we will be there in spirit and be praying for her and her family from afar. We wish her a full and quick recovery. "
I hope she pulls through wrote on May 25, 2007 1:24 am:
" but praying does nothing. I have prayed for so many loved ones, even some that were supposed to pull through and I was left with nothing but heartache. Scientific studies show that prayer does not increase survival chances. Nonetheless, my heart and thoughts are with little Molly and her family. What a tragedy "
J wrote on May 25, 2007 4:57 am:
" AS do I. I pray that You get well and make a full recovery. God bless You and be with you Molly "
Oh, wow! This is sad! wrote on May 25, 2007 6:37 am:
" Scientific studies show that prayer does not increase survival chances. --------- Have you looked for studies that show that prayer does help? There's a man at my church who had a 108 fever, we all prayed for him, and now he is living like nothing ever happened; he suffered from no brain damage. ------ This is soo sad. I hope the family is okay; the young girl was only 5! Oh wow, this kinda stuff isn't supposed to happen.. "
Not guilty? wrote on May 25, 2007 6:53 am:
" Why enter a plea of not guilty? He should buck up and take his punishment. He had no business being in that neighborhood anyway - 'cept for stalking his ex girlfriend. "
JSM wrote on May 25, 2007 6:58 am:
" I pray for both Doug and Molly. Accidents are so very unfortunate but forgiveness is powerful. "
Prayers for the Family wrote on May 25, 2007 7:08 am:
" Prayers DO work. My prayers are with little Molly and her family. "
B wrote on May 25, 2007 8:09 am:
" I love how people think that by praying to God, they are entitled to their own personal wish list. (sort of like their own genie). I'm not an ultra religious person, nor am I superstitious, and I most certainly don't believe all I have to do to get what I want is pray and all my wishes will be granted. (This kind of thinking is what makes the lottery so successful.) I pray for peace on Earth and the elimination of hunger around the world on a daily basis and my wish hasn't been granted yet. Even though I haven't gotten what I want, what is important about prayer is how it transforms ME. That being said, my prayer for this family is that they have the strength to endure this trying time. I also pray that the young man who hit this girl finds it in his heart to come clean and own up to what he did. I'll leave the judging of him up to God and the court. "
I hope wrote on May 25, 2007 8:30 am:
" This is about a little girl, not about you and the 'results' you expected. Prayer -- pray to your higher power, and accept their will, do not complain that you did not recieve. best to you Molly "
forgive wrote on May 25, 2007 9:08 am:
" When you pray for the little girl, also pray for Doug. This was a terrible accident that could happen to anyone at any time. Don't be so quick to judge and forgiveness will go a long way to healing both families. Stop and think, if one of your children hit someone or had a bad accident, would you still be so quick to place blame. Yes we need to pay attention while driving, but so do pedestrians. Everything happens for a reason, so please pray for both individuals. The judicial system is so quick to place blame and place someone in jail, when there are many better choices for a penalty. Accidents are accidents. This wasn't something that he planned and neither did she. I pray for both to be able to recover and enjoy a long, happy life. "
GMP wrote on May 25, 2007 9:50 am:
" Molly will be in my thoughts. "
j wrote on May 25, 2007 11:03 am:
" man, people are being so negative about this whole thing...wanting to place blame on the parents and now wanting to bash prayer being helpful. please people, keep your beliefs to yourself! i am sure this vigil means a lot to the family and also to the friends/neighbors/school mates who are worried about molly. reality is: accidents happen, no matter how careful you are as a parent. the last thing this family needs is judgement on their parenting by a bunch of strangers or comments about how praying does nothing. have some compassion, people. "
m wrote on May 25, 2007 11:11 am:
" thanks for asking, yes I would hold my adult "children" acocntable for their actions. I would loving palce the balme where it belonged. for their healing and for the other family. "
Marv wrote on May 25, 2007 11:49 am:
" I also am praying for molly and her family. But must respond to (forgives) response on the fact of the judical systema quick blame. No one forced this young man to flea the accident and then try too cover it up. He only increased the pain by doing so. Now its time for him to pay up. HOPE this reminds us all to be more diligent when operating a motor vehicle. "
prayers and thoughts wrote on May 25, 2007 11:51 am:
" My heart goes out to the family of the little girl that was hit on wednesday and my daughter also goes to prescott and is picked up by a bus but at a different location, traffic really is a concern of mine as well because my daughter gets picked up on sumner and the vehicles on that street also drive really fast and it scares me because there are so many children that walk down to bus stops to get there and the driver of the cars seems like they forget about the kids. i wish there was something that could be down to slow down all the vehicles becuase of the children. The summer is coming and there will be all kinds of children playing in the neighborhood and that still will not stop the speeding cars in our neighborhood. but once again my prayers and thoughts go out to the family and i hope only for the best for them. "
TJ wrote on May 25, 2007 12:47 pm:
" My prayers go out to Molly and her family. I believe in the power of prayer and what it can do,but it really isnt about what you pray about,it is how you pray. As for the driver, I pray that he learns from this horrible accident.Yes accidents do happen but I do agree he hit that little girl and then left her there,then tried to cover it up, where is his human compassion. To the driver: what if it were someone you loved or if you have kids, one of your kids, how would you feel if someone did what you did. "
more prayers wrote on May 25, 2007 1:27 pm:
" My thoughts and prayers are with Molly and her family. "
Linda wrote on May 25, 2007 1:44 pm:
" Prayer is all powerful! If we truly believe and pray without ceasing . . . with every step and breath we take, who knows what will be accomplished? I'd rather be in prayer and close communication with God than to be out of communication with God and His loving grace. How horrible it would be to be "alone" and not know and understand the loving hands of God as He molds and shapes our lives and we walk in fellowship with Him. I pray for Molly's recovery and for her family as they sit by her waiting for a miracle. We all need to remember, though, that God does things in his timeframe . . . not in our timeframe. It doesn't cost anything to pray and you can be in a prayerful attitude no matter what you are doing or where you are . . . isn't that wonderful?? Best wishes for Molly and her family . . . our hearts are with you at this time. "
For all.. wrote on May 25, 2007 2:51 pm:
" you that believe prayer doesn't work...don't pray. But leave your opinions off of this little girl's and her family's story. They need positivity, loving, and compassion. Fortunately, some of us still have it, and some of us do still pray. My little girl was diagnosed with leukemia (blood cancer). We were 650 miles from home, not much for friends or family. Ya know what, we prayed and prayed. Our families put her on a prayer list at their churches. She is now 2 years in remission. The doctors, nurses, and other staff became our friends and family. Prayer can and does work, even if some fail to believe in it. To Molly and her family, you are in my family's and mine thoughts and prayers. "
saddened wrote on May 25, 2007 9:26 pm:
" I feel so sorry for this family. They lost two little cousins only a month ago. I hope Molly is able to pull through, their family has been through enough already! "

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