More than 100 people in the Gilbert Perry community showed up Friday night outside a hospice-care center for a candlelight vigil, as former pitcher/outfielder Jacob Medina battled for his life.

Medina, diagnosed last year, during his senior season at Perry with leukemia, took a bad turn this week with the cancer returned and his kidneys failed.

He was moved to a hospice-care center, where people stood outside to pray for Medina, who last month was visited by Diamondbacks outfielder David Peralta.

“There are a lot of people here for Jacob,” said Yavapai College baseball player C.J. Valdez, who was on the Perry team with Medina last year. “Even with everything going on, people still came. Hundreds.”

Former Perry baseball player Emery Miller is planning a baseball tournament in October for Medina and his family to offset medical costs. Miller was born with a hole in his heart and underwent four open-heart surgeries the first seven years of his life, living on a feeding tube the first six year.

“I’ve been in their shoes,” Miller said. “I’m fortunate now to be in a healthy position to give back. Me and Jacob have grown extremely close over the last year as we could both related to our medical struggles.

“He would tell me all the time how he feels like I was one of the only people that truly understood what he was going through. The whole situation just hurts.”

Perry baseball coach Damien Tippett said that Medina was in remission last spring not long after being diagnosed with leukemia.

“I think we all figured he had beaten it,” Tippett said. “It wasn’t that long ago he told me he was starting to swing the bat again until earlier this semester, when he relapsed.”

Tippett said it’s been difficult for the Medina family, especially with the coronavirus pandemic preventing visits.

“He is one of the nicest people you will ever meet,” Tippett said. “He’s a high-character person who we’re all proud to know.”

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.

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