Good Sports: Fresno teen battling cancer surprised with Super Bowl tickets

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- You can't archer by his changeless smile, but Gabriel Garcia's day-to-day is thing but normal.

"He inactive lives each time similar thing is incorrect with him," says his mother, Crystal Martinez.

As a wrestler astatine Sunnyside High successful Fresno, Garcia injured himself astatine signifier 1 day.

"It conscionable kept getting worse and worse, I started losing the question successful my limb and I yet decided to spell to the doc aft a month," helium said.

A elemental checkup turned into a life-changing find for the 16-year-old.

"They had said it might've been cancer, and I didn't deliberation thing of it," helium said.

A biopsy revealed Garcia had signifier 4 osteosarcoma, an highly uncommon signifier of bony crab that dispersed to his lungs.

Cancer attraction took him distant from his regular daily astatine school, but teachers similar Katie Botello inactive fto Garcia sojourn people to spot his friends.

"When you're not sick, you don't deliberation anybody is determination to enactment you," helium said. "But erstwhile you get sick, it's like, 'Oh, I person a batch of people.'"

Nobody knows that concern amended than his mom, Crystal.

Six years ago, Martinez battled and bushed her ain bout with cervical cancer.

"I'd alternatively spell done it again myself," she said.

Just similar her son, she puts connected a smile, but the harsh world ever comes back.

"Extremely difficult," she said. "It gets truly dark. There's a batch of times I beryllium retired successful my car and cry."

On 1 peculiar Friday, Garcia thinks we're visiting field to speech astir his journey.

What helium doesn't cognize is there's a astonishment successful store.

Garcia thinks he's participating successful a Super Bowl trivia luncheon rally with his friends.

So far, he's cleanable connected the questions, but helium ne'er would've guessed the last answer.

Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Garcia has been granted tickets to Super Bowl 59 successful New Orleans.

In concern with the NFL and Fanatics, the authoritative sports spouse of Make-A-Wish, Garcia is 1 of conscionable 19 kids headed to the Big Easy for a once-in-a-lifetime five-day experience.

"I thought they were lying to me," helium said. "Made my year. The champion happening that could ever happen. I'm conscionable happy, mislaid for words. I'm conscionable excited."

As the excitement settles, it's backmost to attraction conscionable days later.

"It's easier than chemo, and it's conscionable 1 measurement to get closer," Garcia said.

With his privation granted, different circular of radiation awaits Garcia.

"Your tegument gets burned and each kinds of stuff," helium said.

The symptom marks a milestone successful his astir nine-month fight.

"Super excited to get to ringing the bell," helium said.

It's a dependable signifying the last circular of radiation, a dependable giving a parent hope.

"A batch of times, helium gives maine strength," Crystal said.

For Garcia, the conflict starts and ends with a smile.

"You don't privation anyone to spot you sad," helium said. "Better to marque it look casual than hard."

A hard acquisition he's taking to the Big Easy to spot the Chiefs and Eagles play for the Lombardi Trophy.

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