Former Simpson student Erika Amfahr has continued to make great strides in her recovery from injuries sustained in an automobile accident last January.

Amfahr, who was in a coma for several weeks following her Jan. 13 car accident, is currently living at home in Grundy Center, Iowa, with her parents and has a weekly therapy schedule at the University of Northern Iowa.

“Therapy is going well,” Amfahr said. “I have [sessions] on Mondays and Wednesdays.”

After being released from the hospital last winter, Amfahr was temporarily taken to On With Life, a rehabilitation center in Ankeny. From her arrival to On With Life in February to her release in July, Amfahr has had daily therapy sessions, which helped her to re-learn many activities and treat her injuries.

Amfahr, who was a three-year volleyball letter winner for the Storm, recently came back to Simpson to watch her teammates play in a weekend tournament. She had the opportunity to see many people from the Simpson community.

“I miss Simpson greatly and miss everyone at Simpson,” Amfahr said. “I want to thank everyone at Simpson who’s kept in touch and for their support.”

Senior Nicole Stessman, one of Amfahr’s former roommates, said she has seen many improvements since her accident.

“She’s done a 360,” Stessman said. “Her memory is probably the biggest improvement seen recently.”

Many of Amfahr’s friends, including Stessman, have kept in touch with her since her accident.

“I try to e-mail or call her on a weekly basis,” Stessman said. “We try to get down to Grundy Center to visit when we have a chance.”

Amfahr said she enjoys hearing from people and that the best way to do that is through e-mail.

Junior Jayna Fischbach, a middle-hitter on the volleyball team, says that it has been very different not having Amfahr around this volleyball season.

“It’s really weird for me because I always went to her when I needed to talk to somebody,” Fischbach said. “I miss her leadership a lot. She was always pushing people (in practice) to work hard.”

Stessman wants Amfahr to know that she is truly missed at Simpson.

“I wish I could see her everyday again and that she could be my roommate again,” Stessman said. “But we’re so proud of her perseverance and determination.”

Fischbach agrees and says that it has been nice to see her at volleyball games this year.

“We’ve enjoyed seeing her at the volleyball tournaments,” Fischbach said. “We love her and miss her.”

You can reach Amfahr through email at [email protected].

Contact Erika:http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/spud? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? [email protected]