Good Sports: El Diamante High School baseball player beats cancer twice

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- 17-year-old Jacob Fagundes would alternatively beryllium connected a shot tract than conscionable astir anyplace else.

"It's benignant of similar my comfortableness place," helium said. "It's a spot wherever I consciousness understood, I consciousness similar I belong."

Before helium could adjacent vie for a spot connected the El Diamante High School roster, Jacob was warring for his life.

"Jacob's a warrior," says caput manager Andrew Riddle. "He's been done much than immoderate of these boys tin adjacent see oregon deliberation about."

In the summertime of 2020, Jacob was diagnosed with anaplastic ample compartment lymphoma, a uncommon benignant of humor cancer.

"Obviously, I took it hard, but my extremity the full clip was conscionable to get backmost connected the shot field," Fagundes said.

Jacob was 13 erstwhile helium went from the diamond to the infirmary for crab treatment.

"I conscionable told myself I'd alternatively it beryllium maine than idiosyncratic I love," helium said.

After fractional a twelve rounds of chemotherapy, Jacob yet went into remission, but different curveball was thrown his way.

To combat the 2nd clip around, doctors told Jacob helium would request a bony marrow transplant.

Everyone successful Jacob's household got tested, uncovering his older brother, Joey, to beryllium a cleanable match.

"My member got to prevention my life, and he's a large crushed wherefore I get to travel retired present each day," Jacob said.

After chemo, radiation, and a bony marrow transplant, Jacob was yet acceptable to get backmost connected the field.

"Then astir 2 years ago, the doctors told maine I would ne'er tally again," helium said.

The changeless attraction mixed with steroids to retrieve ate distant astatine the bones successful his ankles.

"It was heartbreaking -- I went location and started crying due to the fact that they conscionable told maine my passionateness was taken distant and I'd ne'er beryllium capable to play it again," helium said.

Diagnosed with avascular necrosis, Jacob would get a 2nd sentiment astatine Stanford's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.

There, helium would find orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kevin Shea, who conscionable truthful happened to beryllium a Mt. Whitney graduate.

"Big rolling of the dice erstwhile they tried it, and it ended up moving retired for me," Jacob said.

Dr. Shea performed an experimental surgery, taking Jacob's bony marrow and injecting it backmost into his ankles, yet giving the archetypal baseman a accidental to get backmost connected the field.

"I'm grateful for the accidental to beryllium capable to aftermath up and play this crippled each day," helium said.

For 4 years, Jacob's passionateness was stripped away, but his positivity ne'er wavered.

It's a connection helium hopes others warring crab tin instrumentality to heart.

"I've had truthful galore doctors archer maine I can't bash things, and I've proven a batch of them wrong, and truthful conscionable support pushing, support moving hard," helium said.

For sports updates, travel Alec Nolan connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.