Come out to the "Ultimate Community Garage Sale" benefiting the Angel Fund Foundation and grab some great deals in the process.

Proceeds from the garage sale will benefit the Angel Fund Foundation, which in turns pays medical expenses for cancer patients in Texarkana who qualify. The Angel Fund Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization developed to help meet the financial needs of cancer patients in the Texarkana area.

The garage sale is Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. No sales will be held before 8 a.m. The event will take place at 722 6th Street at the corner of 6th and Hickory, Texarkana, Ark.

Beth Morgan is the founder of the Angel Fund Foundation and she knows first-hand the struggles that come with having cancer.

"I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a form of bone cancer, in 1998. The following year, I had to leave my family for three months and receive a stem cell transplant at M. D. Anderson Cancer Hospital in Houston, Texas. After returning to Texarkana, I began the long road of healing while trying to work to pay for medical costs. I experienced the other side of cancer that most people don't see and began asking myself questions like, 'Will I live? What side effects from the treatments will I have to endure? How will this affect my family? Above all, how will I pay for it?'

"Luckily, I recuperated, dealt with—and to this day still deal with—the side effects, and was blessed with the insurance and funds to cover the high medical costs."

Cancer patients today are living longer. This means many receive extended periods of costly treatments that take a toll on their physical, mental and financial ability. There are many instances of individuals who, because they could not work, have depleted their savings, or have been denied coverage by their insurance company. Because of this, they have found it very difficult, or even impossible, to pay for their medical care.

I experienced the other side of cancer that most people don't see and began asking myself questions like, 'Will I live? What side effects from the treatments will I have to endure? How will this affect my family? Above all, how will I pay for it?

"One lady, a friend of mine in Texarkana, had divorced and recently changed insurance companies when she was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma," Morgan said. "When she went to M.D. Anderson to receive treatments, her insurance denied coverage, claiming she had a pre-existing condition. She came back to Texarkana but could not afford treatments at one of the local clinics. Her friends and church family hosted garage sales and asked for donations to raise the money required for her treatments. As a result of my friend's story and many other instances, my family and I started the Angel Fund Foundation, Inc. in June 2006 to provide funds for cancer patients in the Texarkana area who cannot afford treatments or medical expenses."

Like all nonprofits the Angel Foundation has an approved Articles of Incorporation, board of directors, is registered as a non-profit organization in the state (Arkansas), and has regular meetings.

Morgan said she and her group are are presently educating the Texarkana area so that adequate funds can be collected to start making funding distributions in the future.

"I want to give back to those who have not been as fortunate as I have. At some point in each of our lives, we will be affected by cancer. There is a need for everyone to fill by getting involved. Help us give cancer patients hope by joining Angel Fund Foundation."

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