Young Angeline Thompson is a brave, spirited and happy Cape Coral 10-year-old. From her attitude and zest for life, you would not know that she suffers from a rare form of cancer, and has just had major surgery.

A three-day yard sale benefit will take place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 17-19, to help her family deal with mounting medical bills and travel to Tampa for ongoing treatment.

Angeline suffers from Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer.

“It is a rare form of cancer, generally it’s not a little girl’s disease, it affects more boys in their early 20s,” said her mother, Kimberly Thompson.

Ewing’s Sarcoma is a malignant, small, round, blue cell tumour, in which cancer cells are found in the bone or in soft tissue. That’s why she had to recently get treatment and an operation that included a hip replacement.

“She’s a very sweet young lady, a fifth grader at Oasis Charter Elementary School this year,” said Oasis Elementary Principal Steve Hook. “She has been through all kinds of trials and physical challenges, yet she comes to school every day happy, she works hard and exemplifies the kind of student we have at Oasis.”

He said he and his wife will attend the yard sale benefit this weekend and have donated some items to the event.

“We (the school) are also doing a ‘Have A Heart Give Her A High Five Jeans Day’ this Friday,” he said. “The kids pay $5 to wear jeans that day and all the money we raise goes to Angeline’s family that day.”

There will be numerous items at the three-day sale, and donations are still flowing in, according to her mother.

“Most of it is going to be donated items from friends and family,” she said. That will be everything from furniture to kitchenwares, knickknacks, picture frames and more. That also includes linens, baby strollers and toys of all different kinds.

Donations are even coming from Naples as well as numerous ones from the Cape.

The event will be held at the family home located at 1404 S.W. 6th Terrace, near Chiquita Boulevard and Pine Island Road. The sale will be 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. all three days.

“We want everyone to come out,” Kimberly Thompson said.

Asked how her daughter is feeling, she said, “She’s holding up a lot better than I would. Actually she’s doing exceptionally well with everything. She’s very independent, head strong and very intelligent.”

Angeline was originally diagnosed with the disease on April 19, 2007, and had her first implant bone salvage surgery on Aug. 3, 2007.

“They expected the implant to last originally, but she just had another July 26 at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg,” Kimberly said.

She is in a wheelchair until she’s cleared by her doctors, but that doesn’t slow her down, her mother said.

“She’s a natural at it.”

She is an incredible active child, her mother said.

“I had trouble keeping her in bed after surgery. She wanted to get up and move.”

Angeline hasn’t missed any time at school, and she also enjoys going on the computer and doing computer games.

“My mother-in-law, Susan Page, come down from Michigan to help out during her surgery and recovery time,” Kimberly said. “She stayed here with my two younger children and my older daughter. My other daughters have been very good, they give her extra time on the computer so she can stay on it longer and have been very helpful getting anything she needs.

“This implant surgery, including the replacement of femurs, she needs to have it done again in four or five years and until she is fully grown.”

Angeline has a a custom-made titanium implant.

“She is only the sixth person in this country and out of only 11 in the world at that time to get this type of implant,” Kimberly said.

Proceeds from the yard sale will go to medical bills and costs for the family going back and forth to Tampa for treatments.

For information on the yard sale, call the family at 333-7086.