Stories: Theresa Donovan's coma

Theresa Donovan's Coma

Jenn Lilley (Theresa Donovan)

Theresa Donovan begins an affair with Brady Black that sends both into a tailspin of wild nights, drink, and drugs. By day, Theresa works at University Hospital as the assistant to Anne Milbauer, HR Manager and general busybody. Anne catches Abigail Deveraux and EJ DiMera discussing their illicit affair, and, with some quick thinking, records the encounter on her smart phone. She then passes that info onto Theresa.

Theresa is visited shortly thereafter by two important women in her life: Billie Reed, and her mother, Kimberly Brady.

Billie and Theresa have been friends since Theresa was very young and Billie & Bo Brady visited Kim and her husband Phillip Collier in LA. Theresa confided in Billie that Phillip was sexually abusive to her, and Billie counselled Theresa about the matter in confidence. The two become even closer after Billie believed she had lost her daughter, Chelsea, during childbirth, something Kim resented due to Billie's machinations in her brother Bo's life during the time of the pregnancy.

Billie eventually convinced Theresa to reveal the truth to her mother, Kim. Kim was very hostile to the idea that Phillip would molest the child he’d helped raise, and Theresa turned even more to Billie.

Now, in Salem, Kim moves to town, having reconciled with Shane Donovan (Theresa’s father), but alone most of the time due to Shane’s extended ISA spy missions. Kim takes an apartment across the hall from Theresa, which infuriates Theresa.

Just as Kim and Theresa finally begin to rebuild their relationship, tragedy strikes.

Kimberly Brady (Patsy Pease)

Theresa and Brady’s relationship falls apart when Theresa and Brady attend a party in Chicago. There, Brady’s ex-wife Chloe Lane is singing. The two remain good friends, and are very affectionate at the party, enraging Theresa. She sells cell phone pictures of Brady doing lines of cocaine at the party is retaliation, causing the Titan board to fire Brady as CEO. Brady spins out into a full-on bender, feeling depressed, ashamed, and furious with Theresa.

He picks Theresa up in his car, while high on cocaine. They argue while Brady drives, and Brady’s car drives off an embankment at high speed. Theresa rolls out of the car before the car drives off the edge, severely injuring her, and Brady is presumed dead after his body is not found in the sunk car.

Theresa remains in a coma at University Hospital, where Billie and Kim frequently visit her. But once Kim discovers Billie’s visiting Theresa, they come to blows, with Kim blaming Billie for Theresa’s drug and alcohol abuse, and for their strained relationship. Kim then slaps Billie with a restraining order on Theresa’s behalf.

Billie, not willing to take “no” for an answer, asks her boyfriend, Dr. Daniel Jonas to allow Billie to sneak in to visit Theresa while he makes his rounds, hoping to avoid being caught breaking the restraining order. Daniel is uneasy with the arrangement, knowing aiding Billie in breaking the law would put his license in jeopardy, but knows it’s the right thing to do, and wants to support Billie.

Billie Reed (Lisa Rinna)

During one of Billie's hospital visits, Billie notices Theresa begin to move, as though waking up from her coma. Excited, she races to Daniel's office to tell him the good news. But while Billie is gone from the room, someone else sneaks in and injects something into Theresa's IV. The signs of life in Theresa's body vanish, and Billie and Daniel return to see Theresa once again in a coma, to Billie's disappointment. Daniel dismisses the incident as Billie's wishful thinking.