GUILDERLAND — Only one in a million people a year are diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma — a randomly occurring cancer with no known cause most often found in teenagers or young adults — according to the National Cancer Institute.
Two of them are students at Guilderland High School.

The school community is rallying to support Gabe Zullo, a freshman, and Jenna Meier, a junior.

“For a year, Gabe has undergone aggressive medical treatment, all while participating in school remotely,” Marie Wiles, Guilderland’s superintendent of schools, wrote in an email to the school community this week, detailing the struggles of the two students. “Gabe will regularly attend his virtual class sessions wearing the very blanket his English class sent him to help support him through his treatment.”

“Gabe is a wonderful and hardworking young man, who gives 100 percent despite how he’s feeling,” said high school English teacher Danielle Benner.

As Gabe is finishing his year-long treatment, Jenna is just starting hers.

After she broke her collarbone, scans showed a tumor, leading to the diagnosis of Ewing’s, a very aggressive cancer.

Michael Schaeffer, who teaches physical education at Lynnwood Elementary School, has known Jenna since she was in kindergarten at Lynnwood; her mother used to be the school’s cook, he said. Schaeffer also helps coach the girls’ varsity soccer team on which Jenna is a forward.

“She’s an amazing soccer player. She’s funny, she’s energetic, she’s always smiling,” Schaeffer told The Enterprise. “Her smile would light up a room.”

Schaeffer organized a fundraiser for Jenna through Pizza Gram Plus, which donated $7, he said, from each of the 730 chicken parmigiana dinners it sold on Tuesday night.

Members of Jenna’s soccer team, as well as her sister and brother, served as runners, transporting the dinners from the restaurant to a stream of waiting cars as Guilderland Police directed traffic on Route 20.

Jenna’s doctors have advised her that, because of the effects of chemotherapy, her eggs should be frozen, an expense only minimally covered by insurance; Shaeffer said the more than $5,000 raised will go towards that.

All over town — with pictures taken by Ritch Anthony posted to the Enterprise website — signs are proclaiming support for Gabe and Jenna.

Anthony said he got involved because his daughter is friends with Jenna’s cousin. The volunteer fire departments in town were the first on board, Anthony told The Enterprise.

“Jenna’s mom said they drove around Saturday looking at all the signs,” he said.

Members of the Guilderland High School community are coordinating a campaign to spread awareness about Ewing Sarcoma and support Gabe and Jenna and their families, Wiles wrote. Anyone can purchase masks and T-shirts to wear on a designated Stronger than Sarcoma Day, with details yet to be announced.

“In situations like this, there are often people who want to help but don’t know how to. Organizing the fundraiser and awareness campaign allows us to create an opportunity for others to offer support through the generosity of donations and of spirit,” said campaign organizers and Guilderland teachers Erin McNamara and Benner in a statement.

T-shirts and masks may be purchased until March 22 at https://wickedsmartapparel.com/collections/jenna-gabe-fundraiser. All proceeds from the sale will go directly to the Zullo and Meier families.