From coma to Commencement: Liberty doctoral graduate was told she’d never walk or speak again

 >>This month, Liberty University celebrates over 32,000 graduates who are ready to impact the world as Champions for Christ. Follow Liberty News for full Commencement coverage and more stories of trial and triumph from the Class of 2026.

After a horrific car accident at 16 years old, Liberty University graduate Dr. Ashley Mayhew (’26) was told she may never walk, speak, or see again — let alone graduate from high school. But this weekend, she celebrates her fourth degree from Liberty, a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.), showcasing that no obstacle is ever impossible to overcome.

The now 27-year-old doctoral graduate, one of over 32,000 in Liberty’s Class of 2026, grew up in nearby Hurt, Va., and attended Faith Christian Academy. She played soccer, danced, made straight A’s, and was heavily involved in her church youth group.

On Sept. 27, 2015, Mayhew was driving home from church when she swerved off the road and hit a tree head-on, causing a Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI), the most severe form of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that normally results in an immediate coma followed by either long-term disability or death. In Mayhew’s case, she entered a monthlong coma. A feeding tube was placed in her stomach, and she was monitored for intense swelling and bleeding of the brain. The situation only escalated as she battled double pneumonia while in an unresponsive state.

Doctors told her mother that if Mayhew lived, she would most likely be bedridden.

The family stayed anchored to their faith and prayed that the Lord would at least allow Ashley to wake up from her coma, graduate high school, and hold down a simple job.

God answered that prayer in abundance.

Mayhew awoke from her coma in Roanoke, Va., almost a month after her accident. She had no memory of the accident, no understanding of where she was, and little recollection of who she had once been.

Mayhew was transported to Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Ga., which specializes in brain and spinal cord injuries. For four months, she had to relearn basic life skills like speaking and walking.

“I remember being in the hospital doing therapy all day long, and I wasn’t sure why,” Mayhew said. “My emotions were all over the place. I was like a toddler again.”

Mayhew returned to school five months after her accident, determined to finish on time, maintain a high GPA, and reclaim every aspect of her independence, including driving again. That was only the beginning.

She was able to catch up and graduate high school on time, still managing to earn perfect grades. In fact, to this day, Mayhew has never received lower than an A in any class or school assignment.

“I’m an overachiever a little bit,” she said. “After my accident, there were a lot of things that I couldn’t do again. It felt like school was something I did have control over when I got back from the accident. Even through my brain is broken, when I put forth the effort, I can still memorize things for school.”

Mayhew has since regained portions of her memory, even small glimpses of the hours leading up to her accident.

She enrolled at Liberty, receiving her undergraduate in interdisciplinary studies (INDS) with minors in women’s leadership and creative writing in 2021, followed by a Master of Arts in Theological Studies in 2022, and a Master of Divinity in 2024.

“I always just want to give my very best to God in everything that I do,” Mayhew said. “I was (studying) for the Lord and pleasing him. I love school. It comes naturally to me.”

“I never dreamed she’d be able to do all the things she’s done with all the memory problems, the physical problems, and the horrible migraines,” said her mother, Rhonda Parsons. “It just overwhelms me. It just seems like yesterday that I was begging the Lord to let her graduate high school. I never ever dreamed she would have a doctorate in ministry. I am beyond proud of her.”

Mayhew said Liberty helped strengthen her faith by incorporating a firm biblical worldview in every course.

“Going to Liberty was absolutely amazing. I met so many people, especially professors, who just poured into me,” she said, noting that she still occasionally schedules lunch with professors she had her freshman year. “I loved every time I went to Convocation, because it was such a special feeling just to be in that room with so many other students praising Jesus. I am just so grateful for the spiritual life at Liberty.”

She said her doctoral program was “so practical and ministry-centered.”

“It never once felt like school. It just felt like Bible study, real projects that would benefit my church. … I really wanted to absorb the information. I didn’t want to just get through to tick it off to get an A. I wanted to be changed by my classes, and I wanted to be transformed, and I was. Liberty really helped me grow more with the Lord and confirm my calling.”

While pursuing her doctorate, Mayhew started working as a relief chaplain at Lynchburg General Hospital. She continues to work there as she finishes her Clinical Pastoral Education internship (CPE) for spiritual care training.

“I’ve gotten to be there for families during their darkest times,” she said. “I truly feel that we get to comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received from Christ Jesus, and that is honestly what I feel like I get to do in my life right now.”

Mayhew continues to grapple with the side effects related to her brain injury, including intense migraines, a chronic nervous system disorder, immune system problems, and iron deficiency anemia. She has regular checkups with her neurologist, immunologist, pain management specialist, and cardiologist.

Through it all, Mayhew has remained active in her church, First Southern Baptist Church in Hurt, Va., serving as a scheduling volunteer, Sunday school and Awana teacher, and a nursery helper. She hopes to one day write books that explore the intersection of mental health, disability, and ministry, a combination she said is often neglected in the church.

Mayhew said working as chaplain was something she never would have imagined before the accident.

“It was so far removed from anything I thought I would do,” she said. “I’ve seen God so much more through my disability than I think I ever would have had I still had a normal brain. In chaplaincy, I have personally gotten to see God use my story for His glory, and that has made every bit of pain worth it. In a lot of ways, I’m thankful for my accident, because I wouldn’t have the ministry that I do today if it weren’t for it. Jesus used my accident to draw me to Him, and I would never want to go back.”