CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – Illinois volleyball star, Taylor De Boer, is back in the line-up after medical treatments for an autoimmune disease. De Boer was preparing for the 2023 Illini volleyball season, after serving as captain for Team Canada’s U19 team in 2022.
The young athlete started having health problems in May 2023. First, she experienced sinus, ear and eye infections. Then, she got an infection after having her wisdom teeth removed. She went on antibiotics, but she wasn’t improving.
After undergoing medical tests, De Boer, who was 17 at the time, was sent to OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria. There, she was diagnosed with Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody (ANCA) Vasculitis, a rare autoimmune disease that can attack the lungs, kidneys, joints and sinuses, all at the same time. Taylor spent a week at the hospital before she was discharged. Unfortunately, her symptoms persisted, and she was hospitalized again. Her kidney function was greatly diminished, and she was admitted to the Critical Care Unit. After spending a couple of weeks of receiving plasma infusions, her health improved. In early August 2023, the medical care team decided Taylor was healthy enough to go home.
While she was feeling better, Taylor was not strong enough to return to volleyball full time. She went through extensive rehab while redshirting for the Illini volleyball team. “Your body needs time to learn how to move again. I basically had to learn how to play volleyball again, which was a little ugly in the beginning,” says Taylor, laughing. “I’m at a point where I have a jump count I have to hit, to keep elevating the number of times I jump so I’m more comfortable in every practice setting. I’m working out with the team full time, practicing full time and am back in the swing of things which is nice.”
She returned to full training with the U of I team this year and is ready for the upcoming season. She hopes to return to Team Canada soon as well.