14-year-old volleyball player loses part of her leg after collapsing during practice

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (AZFamily/Gray News) - A 14-year-old volleyball player needed the lower half of her leg amputated after she collapsed during practice because of a heart condition she didn’t know she had. She is now determined to walk and play volleyball again with a prosthetic.

Delilah Mendez, a 14-year-old student-athlete at Casa Grande Union High School, loves playing volleyball. She had big dreams of getting a college scholarship, but two months ago, everything changed when she had a health crisis during practice and collapsed on the court.

“I couldn’t catch my breath, and then, I felt dizzy at the same time,” Delilah said.

Her mother, Rosie Mendez, received 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,” Mendez said.

‘She is a fighter’

Delilah was rushed to a local hospital then flown to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where she was placed on a heart and lung machine to keep her alive. Doctors determined she had an underlying heart condition and needed surgery right away.

But complications led to blood clots and circulation issues, and doctors had to amputate the lower half of Delilah’s left leg.

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

Mendez says Delilah is trying to stay positive.

“She’s a very independent person. She always likes to do everything on her own. That’s the part where I think she might be struggling a little bit,” Mendez said.

Goal to return to volleyball

After two months in the hospital, Delilah is home, playing video games and spending time with her younger brothers. She knows the road to recovery will be long, but she is determined to walk and play volleyball again with a prosthetic.

“It’s gonna be pretty hard, but I think I can get through it,” Delilah said. “I want to get through this and learn how to walk again with a prosthetic and do all the things I used to do.”

Mendez believes her daughter will one day return to the court.

“I believe she is strong, and she’s shown us she is strong. I believe she’s gonna be back out there, and I will be very proud of her,” she said.

Delilah is currently walking with crutches and getting stronger every day. She says support from friends, family and teammates has made a difference.

“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,” she said.

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