FERRIDAY, La. — Bridget Anders overcame the odds to become Huntington High School’s class of 2000 valedictorian. &uot;I dared to hope,&uot; she said.

On Jan. 1, 2000, as the world waited for the Y2K bug, Anders had other things on her mind.

She had been experiencing some health problems; occasionally her heart would race and she would lean forward and hold her breath in order to slow it down. &uot;New Year’s Day my mother saw me and began to ask questions,&uot; Anders said.

Within the week Anders was sitting in her doctor’s office in Ferriday. From there she was sent to a heart specialist in Baton Rouge, where she was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, people with WPW have an extra circuit, or pathway, of electrical signals going into the heart. The excessive stimulation caused by the extra circuit causes rapid or irregular heartbeats.

&uot;I was told that I was born with it, but I had never noticed any symptoms until about a year ago,&uot; said Anders, the daughter of Andy and Nancy Anders of Clayton.

Anders needed a procedure to cauterize the extra electrical circuit, to allow the heart to function normally. Surgery was scheduled for March 3 in Baton Rouge. During the procedure, doctors discovered the circuits were unusually close, and Anders was sent to the University of Alabama in Birmingham to have a second procedure March 10. &uot;I spent my 18th birthday (March 9) being driven to Birmingham to have surgery again,&uot; Anders said.

In Birmingham doctors decided the procedure was too risky, and Anders was placed on blood pressure medication to regulate her heart. &uot;The only bad part is that she has to take the medication the rest of her life,&uot; Anders’ mother said.

&uot;I’m fine now, pretty much. I just get a little tired sometimes,&uot; Anders said.

Anders will be going to Louisiana State University this fall to begin courses in microbiology. &uot;I’ve always wanted to be a doctor, and the University of Alabama in Birmingham is one of the greatest medical schools. I was kind of glad I got to visit there, even under the circumstances,&uot; Anders said.

Despite her health problems, Anders was able to keep her grades at the top of her class.

&uot;Like I said in my graduation speech, ‘dare to hope,’&uot; she said. &uot;It means that to get through the hard times you’ve got to keep thinking it will be OK.&uot;

Anders is the daughter of Andy and Nancy Anders of Clayton, La.