Georgia high school baseball star Jeremy Medina has been declared brain dead after a teammate accidentally struck him in the head with a bat during a routine practice. Medina, an 18-year-old standout at Gainesville High School, was hit in the head on November 20 and has been in a coma since the incident.
Medina’s family has confirmed that he will be taken off life support, and he will become an organ donor. According to the shattered principal, Jamie Green, Medina leaned into a batting cage net while a teammate was hitting balls, the New York Post reported.
“As a player followed through on his swing, Jeremy leaned into the net and was struck in the head,” Green said. “There is no horseplay, no misconduct, and no intent.”
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In a private meeting on Wednesday, stunned teammates learned about Medina’s fate as the administrator shared the news. The school has made available counselors to comfort shocked students. Family members revealed Medina had a college baseball scholarship offer before this tragedy struck.
The local community has rallied in support of Medina since the incident, with a billboard urging residents to “Pray for Jeremy” as his prognosis worsened. Described as a devout Christian, Medina aspired to become a youth minister while pursuing his baseball dreams, as his father, David shared.
“Our strength, my family’s strength, my strength since day one has been rooted in the most amazing power of Jesus Christ,” the elder Medina said.
“(Some well-wishers) don’t even know my son, don’t even know my family, but they’re together with us in prayer and support us in this moment.”
Doctors said Medina couldn’t recover from a severe blow that left him unconscious. Dr. Michael Cormican, director of Surgical Critical Care at Northeast Georgia Medical Center, explained that the head trauma led to the loss of consciousness and compromised airway maintenance.
