Dedicated, determined, and caring are just few of the words that can describe freshman Hope Doyle.

Most students on the first day of school think about what to wear or who to sit by at lunch. Hope was simply grateful to be alive.

An honors student at Payne Junior High, Hope enjoyed soccer and horseback riding.

Just a few months before this semester began, however, nobody knew if she would even be able to step foot on a high school campus, let alone stand up again.

Last fall, Hope was experiencing an especially high fever. Her father, Mike Doyle, said it was a battle to manage the 103-104 degree fever.

“She had an 11-day fever,” he said, “after five days we went to the emergency room.”

The day after Thanksgiving, as Mike was laying her down into her bed, she suffered a severe stroke.

“She was put into her bed and she was scared in her face,” he said as he tried to keep stability in his voice. He said he felt helpless.

When doctors told the family that Hope’s was life was in serious jeopardy, he described a sense of optimism.

“[The] doctor told me ‘get your affairs in order and Hope would probably not survive the day,’” he said.

Although the prognosis was seemingly bleak, Hope survived.

As a result of the stroke, her right side was completely paralyzed, but continuous hours of physical, speech, and occupational therapy have made communication easier and more effective. However, saying more than one-or-two words at a time is difficult.

PHS teacher Shara Billings, who works closely with the Doyle family, said that when most students’ days are ending, Hope’s is just beginning.

“Every single night except for Thursday and Friday, she goes to therapy at Phoenix Children’s Hospital,” Billings said.

An unlikely inspiration

As Hope was recovering, she was able to visit the very thing that gave her joy since she was four-years old – her horse, Solye.

“She loves to ride her horse,” Billings explained. “She still is able to ride today, but she has to rehabilitate.”

Hope says she has always enjoyed the fast-paced sport of barrel racing, and used to compete in the sport.

For the past two years, Solye and Hope both have been partners in an unlikely element of her recovery. Even her hospital room, which was decorated like a barn, reminded her of her true passion for riding.

“[Her horse] is her being; it is like air to her,” Mike explained.

A community unites

Mike is a pilot for American Airlines. In the days after the stroke, coworkers and American Airlines came together to $35 thousand to help pay for the family’s mounting medical bills.

For a successful recovery, on Aug. 30, the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrated Hope’s achievements.

Two days leading up to the event, KTAR 92.3 held a 48-hour telethon that featured Hope and other children’s stories. Over the duration of the event, $1.5 million was raised to help pay for parents in need in the Phoenix Children’s hospital.

A new world

The stroke was caused by bacterial meningitis; her left coronary artery was completely blocked, which is why she has such limited movement in her right side, Billings explained.

Hope is fighting challenges that she never would have dreamt of one long year ago. According to her teachers and father, Hope’s strength and resilience is a total inspiration.