A high school baseball star in Georgia has died days after doctors declared him brain dead from a freak accident at a batting cage.
Jeremy Medina, 18, was on life support at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville after he was hit in the head with a bat on November 20 and placed in a coma.
The teenager’s family announced his heart stopped on Monday.
‘Sadly, his heart stopped last night about an hour before grandma arrived. We know Jeremy was and will always be in God’s hands and we will see him soon,’ a family statement shared on Facebook on Tuesday read.
Gainesville High School Principal Jamie Green explained the accident happened when Medina leaned into the net of the batting cage as a batter swung.
Georgia high school baseball star in Georgia has died days after doctors declared him brain dead from a freak accident in a batting cage
The 18-year-old was on life support at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville after he was hit in the head with a bat on November 20 and placed in a coma
The teenager’s family announced his heart stopped on Monday and that he died just an hour before his grandmother arrived to visit him
Medina’s family announced his tragic death in an emotional post just days after he was declared brain dead.
‘Following last week’s press conference and decision to support Jeremy’s wish for organ donation, we began the process of seeking a visa for his grandmother so she could travel to be with us for the honor walk,’ it read.
‘Sadly, his heart stopped last night about an hour before grandma arrived. We know Jeremy was and will always be in God’s hands and we will see him soon.
‘We are grateful for all the prayers and support over the last three weeks, and we appreciate everyone’s understanding as we take time now to be with our family.’
Funeral plans for the teenager have not been announced, but his family said they would share updates about honoring him.
Medina, who played as a pitcher and a catcher, was placed in an induced coma after he was struck in the head.
Dr. Michael Cormican, hospital director of surgical critical care, explained how the medical team made the decision to pronounce the student brain dead during a news conference on December 6.
Through a ‘very regimented’ process, doctors looked for evidence of brain function through reflexes and breathing and used imaging to assess blood flow to the brain. He was pronounced dead on Sunday.
Funeral plans for the teenager have not been announced, but his family said they would share updates about honoring him
Medina’s family spoke at a press conference on December 6. In attendance was uncle Efrahim ‘Frank’ Medina, father David Medina, brother David Medina Jr. and aunt Ludin DeAza (from left to right)
Days after the accident, Medina’s brother posted a video of the two of them playing as children to Instagram. He captioned the post: ‘Please wake up for me’
‘Initial trauma to his head was significant and caused him to lose consciousness and as he lost consciousness he lost his ability to maintain his airway,’ Cormican said.
He said Medina’s prognosis was ‘not unique’ for a significant head injury.
The teen’s father, David Medina, uncle Efrahim ‘Frank’ Medina, aunt Ludin DeAza and brother David Jr. were all present at the conference, along with dozens of supporters.
Medina’s relatives sat with their heads lowered. At one point, David Jr. pulled his sweatshirt over his face as he cried.
The family previously announced that they would honor Medina’s wishes to donate his organs.
‘Before his passing, Jeremy made the decision to give the gift of life by registering as an organ and tissue donor when he received his driver’s license,’ Frank Medina said.
‘Not only will lives be saved and improved, the family members, friends, and communities of those who receive his organs and tissues will be forever impacted by the memories made possible thanks to a second chance at life.’
Frank Medina added loved ones will perform an honor walk with Medina’s body when it is taken to the operating room for the organ donation procedures, after which he will be laid to rest.
Principal Green said counselors and social workers will be available to students and staff to support them ‘as long as need be.’
He thanked Medina’s family for informing the teen’s baseball teammates, coaches and teachers of his passing earlier that morning.
‘You’ve been a source of great inspiration for us, with your faith and your leadership,’ Green said. ‘It’s helped me lead this school community through this very challenging time.’
Cormican also commended their strength, saying he was particularly touched as the father of a teenage boy himself.
‘It’s been inspiring to see how they’ve handled this with grace and prayerful thought,’ Cormican said.
When David Medina stepped up to the podium and introduced himself as ‘Jeremy’s dad,’ his voice broke.
He said the family had leaned on their religious faith throughout the heartbreaking ordeal and emphasized that his son’s injuries were the result of an accident.
Frank Medina shared that loved ones will perform an honor walk as Medina’s body is taken to the operating room for the donation of his organs
David Medina said the family had leaned on their religious faith throughout the ordeal and reiterated that his son’s injuries were the result of an accident
Gainesville High School Principal Jamie Green said counselors will be available to staff and students as they process the news of Medina’s passing
The same day, Gainesville High School posted a message reading, in part: ‘The life of Jeremy Medina will forever impact the lives of our entire community. His passing will mean renewed life for many others as an organ donor. Please continue to pray for the Medina family.’
Attached to the post were what would’ve been Medina’s senior yearbook photo and an accompanying portrait.
Gainesville Theater Troupe 2445 announced that their December 6 performance of Cinderella would be held in the baseball star’s honor, and a portion of boutique sales would go to Medina’s family.
Community members rallied around Medina and his family long before the announcement of his death.
Supporters trended the hashtags ‘#pray4jeremy’ and ‘#OneGainesville’ as they waited with bated breath for him to make a recovery.
Adam Miller, Medina’s former coach, referred to the teen as a ‘great kid, great teammate, and great ball player’ in a Facebook post.
‘His smile and love for the game is something I’ll never forget. He and his family have been a blessing to me,’ Miller wrote, encouraging others to pray for him.
The 18-year-old’s love for the sport was apparent on social media, where he frequently posted photos of himself in his baseball uniform.
Medina’s brother, a fellow baseball player, posted a video of the duo roughhousing as children to his Instagram story a few days after the accident.
The video was captioned: ‘Please wake up for me.’