Belton — Issues such as blood-sugar levels and whether he should eat a cupcake have been something for him to consider since he was 5, said his sister, Ann Fagg. She said their parents took Thomas to the doctor when he was 5 after a virus attacked his pancreas, concerning them.

When doctors ran tests, they learned Thomas had Type I diabetes, she said.

“Through his life, he’s had numerous eye surgeries, his heart muscles have hardened, and 80 percent of his stomach suffers from paralysis,” Fagg said. “Now his kidneys are failing on him.”

On Oct. 22, Thomas, who is 36, will travel to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston for an evaluation to see if it is time for him to have a kidney-pancreas transplant that he needs, she said. Thomas works at Eddie’s Minute Mart on the Abbeville Highway, just outside of Anderson, and is married with a 3-year-old daughter.

Fagg said those who know Thomas have been pulling together to help the family with their medical expenses. Drinks were sold at Belton’s Standpipe Festival recently. And today, a yard sale and bake sale are planned at the First Baptist Church in Belton to raise money for Thomas and his family.

Everything will be set up in the church’s gym. There will be sandwiches, breakfast food, coffee as well as baked goods and household items on sale for the event.