By Rich Winter

605 Sports

For Miller junior Shaylee Anderberg the run to the Class A state volleyball tournament and a fourth-place finish meant just a little extra to the 5-foot-7 outside hitter. 

In 2019, Anderberg was experiencing vertigo, numbness in her arms and the bottom of her feet, and an increased heart rate. In July, Angie and Travis Anderberg visited the Mayo Clinic In Rochester, Minnestoa. Doctors performed an ablation (a minimally invasive procedure to remove excess pathways to the heart). 

“She felt a lot better and we thought we had figured out what was wrong,” Angie Anderberg, Shaylee’s mom said. 

The symptoms seemed to diminish for a few months and then in November 2019, Shaylee had an intense case of vertigo and the numbness in the bottom of her feet returned. 

“She couldn’t even walk because of the vertigo,” Andgie Anderberg said. “She couldn’t keep food down, sleeping was hard because the room would spin. She ended up in the hospital getting fluids and our local doctor told us we needed to get an MRI done.” 

The results came back in February 2020. Doctors discovered lesions on Shaylee’s brain and spine and it was confirmed she had multiple sclerosis (MS). 

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. 

“Hearing the news was actually kind of a relief because we actually knew what was wrong,” Shaylee Anderberg said. “My faith really helped me through it. Even if it was bad God wouldn’t let my story go to waste. He would find ways for me to help other people.” 

Anderberg was familiar with the disease as her grandfather on her father’s side has MS and her grandmother’s sister also has MS. Medical advancements in treating multiple sclerosis in the last 10 years have advanced dramatically and Anderberg knows exactly what her future will look like. 

“There is no way doctors can get rid of the lesions,” she said. “They can prevent new ones from growing. There is really no difference in my health now, the only difference is we have a diagnosis.” 

While the medication stops the advancement of MS there are still occasions when old symptoms creep up. 

“The first practices for volleyball with the heat in August brings her old injuries on,” Angie Anderberg said. “She has some numbness in her arms and she uses cooling towels to try and keep her core temperature down.” 

Anderberg played a lot of junior varsity this season but came off the bench for coach Linda DeBoer to provide defensive help. Throughout the 33-win season Anderberg tried to maintain a positive attitude and help her team in any way possible. 

“Even if I don’t have a good game that doesn’t mean I should be negative,” she said. “One person can affect the whole team and I want to be a benefactor towards that success.”

If she is having a bad moment Anderberg said her teammate Jaden Werdel looks at her and says, ‘C’mon Shaylee we need you.’

Anderberg used to play basketball but her symptoms made that sport harder for her. Last year she became a statistician for the Rustler basketball team and her teammates embraced her like she was still part of the team. 

“Her teammates have gotten her through so much,” Angie Anderberg said. 

In addition to playing volleyball, Anderberg is a student aid in Jodi Baumberger’s Kindergarten class. 

“Shaylee is such an amazing person who has such a dynamic impact on anyone she encounters,” Baumberger said. 

Those kindergarten students have a positive impact on Anderberg’s life.

“Sometimes I can be having a bad day and I walk in the classroom and the kids say ‘Hi, Miss Shaylee or Buenos Dias Miss Shaylee,’ ” Anderberg said. 

Love of children and her commitment to faith has the Miller student filling in for their local pastor by offering a sermon when needed. 

“A couple of my careers I’m thinking about are going into Adult Youth Ministry or Education,” she said.

Anderberg and teammate Jaden Werdel are both active in their local Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization.