We all know life tests you. But for Andres Molina, the past couple of years have been fairly grueling. In the face of constant setbacks and overwhelming obstacles, including full-body paralysis at the age of 37, Molina’s seemingly superhuman ability to remain positive is a testament to the human spirit.
Molina’s journey began in Virginia. When he was 17 years old, he lost his father to cancer. Born on the same day as his father, Molina took the loss very hard, though he credits the experience with helping him develop mental toughness. “That’s the worst thing that ever happened to me, so whatever else is gonna happen, it’s doable. It’s fixable,” he explains of his shift in mindset.
That outlook has been constantly challenged, beginning in Los Angeles. After summoning the courage to pursue his dream of acting, Molina faced rejection after rejection in California. “There were thousands of noes for a handful of yeses,” he says.
Still, he persevered, securing nonspeaking roles in “Days of Our Lives,” “CSI,” “Bones,” and “Law & Order,” among others. In 2012, he landed his first speaking role opposite Christian Bale in “The Dark Knight Rises.”
“I had to work so hard to get to this place. It makes you believe miracles can really happen when you have the right mindset and the right work ethic,” says Molina. “You believe in something and you never give up.”
But for every high, there was an equally tough low. It was years before Molina earned his next speaking role opposite Emma Stone in “La La Land,” which he was extremely proud of. Over the Christmas holiday, he took his entire family to see the movie, only to find out that his scene had been cut.
Instead of getting angry or down on himself, Molina called his agent and asked how they could capitalize on it. “My dad always said, if you’re not a part of the solution, you’re a part of the problem,” says Molina, who was determined to be part of the solution.
He had no idea at the time how crucial his resilience and can-do attitude would be in the next phase of his life.
Just before the start of the COVID pandemic, Molina’s mother was taken to the hospital. Molina immediately packed up his stuff and drove across the country to Parkland. Once in Parkland, he settled into a townhouse with his mother across the street from his sister. That’s when his world was turned upside down.
On August 25, 2020, Molina was outside on the patio when he suddenly fainted, falling backward and hitting his head on a flowerpot. He was unconscious for two full minutes. When he awoke, he couldn’t move. “That’s when hell clicked in. I couldn’t feel anything under my chin,” he recalls.
Molina was taken to Broward Health North where he was diagnosed with a C2 cervical spinal cord contusion. The good news was that he was not permanently paralyzed. But the road to recovery would not be an easy one. Molina spent nine days in the intensive care unit before he could even wiggle his toes. He was then transferred to the trauma unit and began in-bed therapy.
Because he was hospitalized during the pandemic, Molina was especially alone. Hospital policy only allowed one 30-minute visit per day from one relative. “You can’t move. You’re stuck with your thoughts and your energy,” he explains.
Thankfully, his sister pinned family photos and inspirational quotes on his wall. “One quote from the Rock, one of my role models, said you have three choices in life — give up, give in, or give it your all,” says Molina. “I stared at that quote for days before realizing, it’s not that you just jump in and give it your all. You have to give up, then you have to give in, and then give it your all. You have to surrender. And that’s something I was going through. I was angry and in denial. I had to surrender to give myself a chance to heal.”
On his first day of rehabilitation, the physical therapist explained just how lucky Molina was. “They told me I was less than one centimeter away from being permanently paralyzed, like Christopher Reeve. I lost it,” recalls Molina.
He then channeled that energy into his recovery. The first day in therapy, Molina was brought to the parallel bars. He couldn’t take one step on his own. He asked what exercises he could do in bed to speed up his progress, and then he practiced them relentlessly for hours — flexing, nudging, pressing down. The next day, he was able to walk 20 steps on his own, baffling the physical therapist.
The hospital told Molina it would be 4 to 6 months before he was walking. He promised them he would walk out of the hospital when discharged. Thirty days later, he did just that.
Convinced his journey could inspire others, Molina underwent training with French relationship expert Alex Cormont and started his own “love coaching” business in September 2020, coaching clients from his room while working on his own physical recovery. “To see them make progress, that motivated me,” says Molina of his clients.
Months later, when his agent called with a potential stand-in job, though his body was still sore, Molina jumped at the opportunity to get back into acting. It turned out that he was standing in for Henry Cavill, the actor who portrays Superman in the DC Extended Universe. “In the hospital, everyone kept telling me I could have been the next Christopher Reeve, and now I’m standing in for the current Superman,” he reflects.
Life then threw him another curveball. Born with osteoarthritis, Molina discovered he was already bone to bone on his left hip and would require a total hip replacement, derailing his recovery. “I just learned to walk again and would now have to redo everything from a wheelchair to a walker to a cane, stairs — all over again. Twice in 18 months,” recalls Molina. Determined not to give up, he underwent surgery in December 2021.
At this point in his journey, physically, Molina is almost back to where he was pre-paralysis. “I can’t run yet but I can speed walk, bike, swim, dress, drive, shower. I can do everything I need to do,” he affirms.
Mentally, he’s in an empowered space, having realized his purpose. “Acting was a passion, but coaching is my true calling,” enthuses Molina.
For more information, visit coachingwithandres.com.