Family organizes yard sale to benefit boy with rare illness

UNION CITY, Tenn. — Everyone loves a good bargain, but a good bargain for a good cause is even better.

“We are having our second annual benefit yard sale for Bentley and our family,” Laura Betts said. “Some things we’ve priced, and some things we are just asking for donations for people to give back since it was all given to us.”

We introduced you to her son, Bentley, in July. He is fighting Batten disease, a neurological progressive disease that causes his brain to forget how to do things like walking or talking.

“You now, just stuff that you don’t realize you take for granted, Bentley can’t do anymore, and it’s just going to get worse, and that’s why we are having this yard sale,” his dad, Barrett, said.

His parents hosted the same yard sale last year to raise money for Bentley’s medical bills, and the community outpouring was overwhelming — raising $20,000.

“Over the past month, we’ve collected all of this stuff from friends and family and people that don’t even know us,” his dad said. “And we’ve just collected it and put it all out yesterday, and we have been selling it and we are going to try and sell it all weekend.”

“It’s crazy how one little boy, a 6-year-old little boy, can can make such a difference in so many people,” Laura said.

The yard sale will be held from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 1215 Edwards Street in Union City.