Maggie Meier fell ill in 2008 and was admitted to hospital after suffering a seizure.
The student at Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas was found to have mycoplasma meningoencephalitis – a form of meningitis which causes swelling on the brain.
To remind her of who she was, the family placed a basketball in Maggie's hands when she was seated upright in a wheelchair. Amazingly, the young woman's reflexes kicked in and she started shooting hoops.
During the girl's extended stint in hospital, she would shoot a few hoops, then fall back into a comatose state.
every facet of her daily life – how to walk, speak and read.
While she was in hospital, Maggie's fellow players on the school team the Huskies and coach David Glenn kept a chair by the court which said 'reserved for Maggie Meier' on the back.