Delilah Mendez had been chasing a college volleyball scholarship. Now she is focused on learning to walk again and returning to the court with a prosthetic leg.

Two months ago, Mendez collapsed on the gym floor during practice. “I couldn’t catch my breath, and then I felt dizzy at the same time,” she said.

Her mother, Rosie Mendez, got a call that her daughter had passed out. “I thought maybe she was just dehydrated or something small, so I didn’t think anything serious until they told me she didn’t have a pulse,” Rosie Mendez said.

Delilah was rushed to a local hospital and then flown to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where she was placed on a heart-and-lung bypass machine. Doctors determined she had an underlying heart condition and that she needed surgery immediately. Complications followed — blood clots and circulation problems — and doctors ultimately amputated the lower half of her left leg.

“She is a fighter. She went through a lot, even surprised me of how strong she was with everything, especially her leg. That was really hard for me to tell her about that,” Rosie Mendez said.

Now at home, Delilah is playing video games and spending time with her younger brothers. She knows the road ahead is steep. “It’s gonna be really hard, but I think I can do it,” she said.

She wants to manage her recovery on her own terms. Her mother said that independence is both a strength and a struggle. “She’s a very independent person, likes to do everything on her own. That’s the part I think she might be struggling a lot,” Rosie said.

Delilah is walking with crutches and getting stronger every day, according to her family.

Support has poured in from friends, family and teammates. “My volleyball team has sent cards, and they’ve been really supportive. My best friend has been visiting me. She’s on the volleyball team too,” Delilah said.

Classmates have made signs and T-shirts to raise money for Delilah and her family as medical bills mount. A GoFundMe page has also been set up to help the family.

Despite everything, Delilah’s goal is unchanged. “I want to get through this and learn how to walk again, get a prosthetic and do all the things I used to do,” she said.

Her mother believes she will make it back to the court. “I believe she is strong, and she’s shown us she is strong, and I believe she’s gonna be back out there, and I will be very proud of her,” Rosie said.