Community rallies around Fresno teen battling rare cancer

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Hundreds gathered astatine Sunnyside High School connected Saturday greeting to enactment 16-year-old Gabriel Garcia, a Fresno teen warring a uncommon and assertive signifier of bony cancer.

Gabriel was diagnosed with osteosarcoma past June. Despite undergoing 7 rounds of chemotherapy, the crab has since dispersed to his lungs. Now, helium travels play to San Francisco for a caller attraction that comes with steep out-of-pocket costs.

In a almighty amusement of solidarity, the assemblage came unneurotic to assistance easiness that fiscal burden. The fundraiser featured a car wash, escaped haircuts, nutrient sales, and much - each organized by volunteers determined to marque a difference.

"It shows a batch of radical attraction astir me," Gabriel said. "It gives you a bully crushed to fight."

The lawsuit drew enactment from friends, family, classmates, and adjacent strangers. Many wore shirts and signs bearing messages of encouragement. Gabriel, a wrestler astatine Sunnyside High, was described by his manager arsenic a combatant some connected and disconnected the mat.

"Every clip helium stepped connected the mat, helium battled," said wrestling manager Ryan Payne. "Just similar he's battling crab now."

Gabriel's communicative archetypal gained attraction successful February erstwhile Make-A-Wish surprised him with tickets to the Super Bowl.

RELATED: Good Sports: Fresno teen battling crab amazed with Super Bowl tickets

Since then, his travel has inspired galore crossed the Central Valley.

"This is beyond what I thought it was going to be," Gabriel said of the fundraiser. "I thought it was going to beryllium a tiny small car wash, but it looks similar a dang festival."

Supporters accidental Gabriel's spot and religion person agreed the community.

"You don't person to hold for the change, you tin beryllium the alteration successful our community," said unpaid Hector Arenas. "Everything counts. Everything helps."

Gabriel's household has acceptable up a GoFundMe page to assistance screen aesculapian expenses.

For quality and upwind updates, travel Brisa Colon connected Facebook, X and Instagram.