It took years for Murphy to recover. There was plenty of support from her mother, who read to her often, and her father, Joe, who taught her how to handle those fears. There was the obligatory reading of textbooks for classwork.
But there was no reading for enjoyment, no pleasure in the written word.
"I couldn't find a book that I liked, so I never chose to read," she said.
Murphy did have an interest in helping children, though. It showed up at Abington Heights School District, in Clarks Summit, where she assisted teachers at various elementary schools in the area as part of her course work.
It showed up when she became a three-time district champion in the high hurdles and eagerly assisted younger athletes looking for advice.
"She loves kids," Sandy Murphy said. "Always has. She grew up around little ones and kind of took them under her wing."
When it came time to find a college, Alea Murphy chose Towson because it offered the mix of elementary education and track she wanted.
As in the classroom, Murphy serves as a mentor on the track. She has run a 59-second 400 meters, and she recently competed in the pentathlon, winning two of the five events.
"She's our No. 1 hurdler and one of our top 400 runners," Towson track coach Roger Erricker said. "She's a real gem, a joy to coach, a joy to be around. She works with the freshmen and sophomores and helps them. She will be one of our team captains next year, but she already has that leadership quality now."
Murphy's leadership in the classroom probably will have greater impact, however.
"I think she'll be able to pick those out that need special attention," her mother said. "Knowing she was one that didn't get it, she's going to teach them what they need to do and give the extra attention they need."
A literacy course at Towson last semester helped convince her that she can provide needed help. The altruistic Murphy knows how she'll handle a student who has trouble reading, or doesn't like to read.
"If there's a student that can't find any interest in reading, there is a book out there they're going to be interested in," she said. "You just have to find it as a teacher.
"I want to get right into the classroom, right into the children's lives, where they are seeing me five days a week and where I hopefully can help them in all areas of their lives."
ken.murray@baltsun.com
