NJ Teen Returns to Volleyball After 6 Brain Surgeries

Aileen Xue passed a volleyball while lying unconscious in a hospital bed, her muscle memory so deep that her body knew what to do even when her mind couldn't. That moment in March 2024 gave her family the first glimpse that their daughter might return to them.

The Hillsborough High School senior was headed toward her dream future: a volleyball offer from NYU and an invitation to Taiwan's Under-18 national team. Then on March 15, 2024, a car accident changed everything.

"I dialed Aileen's phone more than 20 times," her father Stephen Xue remembers. A police officer finally answered with news every parent dreads: serious accident.

Off-duty first responder Bryan Hermann happened upon the crash scene. "The presence of Bryan was another miracle," says Aileen's mother, Ning Lee.

Aileen spent over 200 days in the hospital and endured six brain surgeries. She had to relearn the basics most people take for granted: walking, talking, eating.

"It was almost like I was a baby," Aileen says. Her mother confirms the journey started completely from scratch, with videos capturing Aileen's first words all over again.

Volleyball became an unexpected therapy tool when her father placed the ball in her unconscious daughter's hands. She instinctively set it perfectly, muscle memory kicking in when nothing else could.

"That's kind of amazing," Stephen says. The movement became part of her physical therapy, helping rebuild years of practiced skills.

Why This Inspires

Aileen's return to the court last fall moved everyone who watched. "She just ran onto the court and was so happy and carefree," says coach Cheryl Iaione. "Just happy to be back doing her thing."

For Aileen, that moment meant reclaiming her identity. "It felt super invigorating, almost like I was myself again," she says. "Without volleyball, I feel like I can't be myself."

Now the high school senior is waiting for college decisions this month, hoping to major in psychology. She plans to use her own miracle journey to help others facing their own seemingly impossible recoveries.

Her coach sees what drives her daily: "The love she has for the sport, the time she puts in, the passion she has for it." Every bump, set, and dig now carries extra weight as proof that the impossible sometimes happens.