By all accounts, Jasmine Sanders is a normal student-athlete at the University of South Alabama, but the journey to where she is today has had its obstacles. Sanders had to battle back from a stroke and heart surgery last season to be able to take the field her senior year.

“Initially, everyone thought there was no way that she could come back, but Jasmine’s shown how tough she is,” said USA head coach Mike Varga. “She started with our program and she wanted to see it through. She’s extremely committed to our program and she definitely fought her way back.”   

One year ago, Sanders was finishing soccer practice when the then 20-year old started experiencing strange symptoms.

“I don’t really remember much,” Sanders said. “Practice had just ended and I was walking over to put the balls in the ball bag. I was standing there and I got really dizzy, and then my eyes crossed. When I tried to walk I was off balance.”

The team’s trainer at the time, Megan Harper, was able to recognize the symptoms and rushed her to the hospital.

“When our practice ended she came to me saying that her eyes were crossed,” said Harper. “I transported her to the hospital, and, on the way there, she got worse. That’s when I realized she was having a stroke. I recognized the signs she had.”

Sanders’ doctors found a patent foramen ovale (PFO), which is a small defect between the two upper chambers of the heart, and determined that it was the cause of the stroke. Fortunately, they were able to remedy it with heart surgery.

“There was a hole in my heart,” Sanders said. “Everybody is born with it, but it usually closes up after you’re born. There are a certain number of people whose don’t close. The hole isn’t big enough that it causes a murmur so you don’t notice it until something actually happens. The doctors said that’s where the clot got through. I had heart surgery around three weeks after the stroke to fix the hole.”

Throughout the whole ordeal Sanders, a Monroe, La. native, was more concerned about her parents and teammates than herself.

“I think the hardest thing for me was seeing my parents’ faces the first time they saw me,” Sanders said. “To have something happen to one of your kids that you can’t control and be hundreds of miles away must have been hard.

“I’ve been brought up to be really strong, so when my teammates came to the hospital I just made sure to keep a smile on my face because I didn’t want anyone to know how scared I was. I just wanted them to stay happy and stay focused on the season.”

Luckily, Sanders’ Jaguar family was by her side in the hospital until her parents could arrive from Louisiana.

“That first night, I remember Rylle (Pannell), Brandi (Smith), Landi (Wilson), Jacey (Chandler) and Lauren Walker from the basketball team being there,” said Sanders. “Those are some of my closest friends and they were there with me. The coaches came to the hospital. They were all very supportive of me. Everyone was extremely nice and there for me.”

Even after surviving the stroke and having surgery Sanders still had a bumpy road ahead of her filled with recovery time, rehabilitation and clearances from her doctors, but after what she had already overcome she was not going to let anything stand in her way.

“I was just ready to get back out there,” Sanders said. “Getting back in shape was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life. I had to get a lot of clearances from a bunch of different doctors. After I got cleared, there was physical therapy. We started with very small things and then I built it up. Megan (Harper) helped me get to where I am. I was just thinking about when I could go back to soccer.”

The near-death experience also reinforced the value of life for Sanders.

“I’m more thankful for everything,” Sanders said. “A lot of people don’t know the feeling that’s inside you when you’ve gone through a near-death experience. It’s not something you can really describe, but once you go through something like this you realize how precious life is. It’s so precious, and I’m so grateful for every moment and every second. I appreciate things so much more.

“Not that I didn’t appreciate things before, but now I appreciate them in a different way. I just appreciate life. Life is amazing.”

Sanders’ drive and commitment are inspirational to everyone around her.
“Because of her story, Jasmine is inspiring,” Varga said. “She’s truly committed to the team. She does whatever is asked of her. She gives everything she can and she’s just a huge inspiration to the team. She’s definitely one of the leaders on the team.”
The fact that Sanders’ dedication is inspiring to others is not lost on her.

“For a while they didn’t know if I was going to be able to play again, but I always said I would be back,” Sanders said. “I’ve pushed myself harder than I’ve ever pushed myself and I’m proud of where I’ve gotten. I’m trying my best. I just try to give a little inspiration here and there. I’m very content with working my butt off and being an inspiration to people. If that’s what my purpose is in life, I’m fine with that.”
Through hard work, and with the support of her family, coaches and teammates, Sanders was able to put on a jersey after conquering such a traumatic experience and has not let her medical issues slow her down on the field.

“I could just be out there doing nothing, but then why would I even be out there,” Sanders said. “So I just go hard. I’m cleared for everything now. It held me back a lot when I was on blood thinners, but now I just take baby aspirin; I have to take that for the rest of my life.”
Molly Blackmon-Davenport, the current graduate intern athletic trainer for soccer said, “Jasmine regulates it on her own. She knows when she’s pushing it too far and when to stop. She’s done really well. She doesn’t really have any restrictions at this point, she can go just like anyone else.

“She’s just a normal soccer player now.”

Although Sanders’ role as a student-athlete is coming to an end, her academic life is far from over. Sanders wants to become a doctor, and knows that her experience will help her future patients.

“I’ve always wanted to be a doctor,” said Sanders. “I want to be an OBGYN and a neonatal surgeon. I know my story will help me relate to my patients and know what they’re going through is high risk. Now, I’m a high-risk [case] so I know what some of these women are dealing with.”
Now in her final season playing soccer for USA, Sanders appreciates what it means to be a senior on this Jaguar team.

“It’s great being a senior,” Sanders said. “We’re such a close class. To get to this point is huge. I’m so proud to be a senior. The work we’ve put in, and how this year is going for us is awesome. This is a great season for us to go out on. It’s been a fun four years.”