By BRIAN TORTELLA
Correspondent
On X @tortreports
Sadie Afflerbach had a year to remember in 2022. The West Deptford sophomore has been through more hardship than most 15-year-olds could fathom.
A Gateway middle-schooler at the time, the two-sport athlete excelled while running track for the Gators and playing travel softball for New Jersey Knockout Fastpitch 14U.
Afflerbach started getting muscle pains in her right leg during a Friday evening track meet on April 8, 2022. Naturally, she thought the pain was just shin splints because she — typical of many running athletes — got them often after meets.
The following day, she played all three NJKO travel tournament softball games. There was one problem: the pain got slightly worse. She said she iced her right leg that night in hopes that it would feel better for the two Sunday morning games.
Sunday is when she knew something was truly wrong. She was barely able to make it through the two games.
“I went up to the plate to bat and I thought to myself, ‘I need to purposely strike out,’ because of how bad the pain was,” she said.
She immediately went home and rested her leg on a footrest on her couch. After resting and icing the leg, she went to stand up. When she did, she said she couldn’t feel her foot hit the ground.
It was at that moment that life as she knew it changed.
For the next few months, she was physically unable to walk. Sadie was paralyzed.
From the thought of just having slight shin splints to not being able to walk in a week’s time — the question she and her family repeatedly thought, “what possibly could have gone wrong?”
She visited six doctors and none knew what was wrong. They ran several tests. Seven x-rays and three MRIs later it was revealed that she would need peroneal nerve decompression surgery.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a peroneal nerve injury damages the peroneal nerve, which runs through the front of your knee and extends to your feet and toes. The nerve helps you feel sensations in the front and sides of your legs.
“It was frustrating as parents not being able to take away Sadie’s pain and watching her go through so many tests,” said Sadie’s father, Peter. “There were countless MRIs, ultrasounds, x-rays, EMGs and physical therapy — aside from the initial surgery. We all had to rally for Sadie to get her to appointments and still have some fun as a family. Sadie put in the work to heal the way she did. If she wasn’t the determined, hard-working person she is, she would not have recovered.”
She had surgery on May 23, 2022, and quickly started physical therapy for her right leg thereafter. After months of training the right leg to function properly, she took her first full steps in August of that year.
What’s even more impressive about her resilience is that her family was in the process of moving to West Deptford from Woodbury Heights during that school year. She changed school districts at the beginning of her freshman year, and although she may have been nervous at first, it didn’t take her long to fit into the Eagles’ culture.
“The only way you would know if Sadie had such a serious injury is if you knew of the incident,” said Sydney Jakubowski, West Deptford’s head softball coach. “She definitely has not let this define her or hold her back. Her will and determination to get back on the field since reflects positively on her character. She is an athlete who is never satisfied and is always willing to learn. She works hard to earn everything and, given her history, it says a lot about her mental toughness and pure love for the game of softball. We’re eager and excited to see her grow as she continues her career. We hope she can be an example and inspiration to others in the softball world.”
She currently plays for West Deptford as well as travel softball for the South Jersey Villains 16U. She holds a 3.9 grade-point average and is a member of the World Language Honor Society.
People often question Sadie about her injury out of curiosity, and instead of being bothered by the attention, she embraces it. It was a long, painful recovery, but in the end, the experience only made her stronger, she said.
“I’m insanely grateful to have everything that I have, and to now be able to do the things I could not do,” she said. “When I was in the state where I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t look past it. I didn’t think that I would ever recover. I’m beyond grateful to my family, friends and teammates that helped me through everything. From pushing my wheelchair and carrying my books to my little sister making me laugh during long doctor appointments, I am just so appreciative.
“And now that I’m back on the field, playing for two teams, working at becoming a better player, it feels great,” she added. “For almost two years I could only focus on getting by in pain. I love West Deptford High School. The people were so welcoming while I was a new student.”
