In 1964, a 16-year-old star athlete and student named Jim Deming died of leukemia. He left behind a grieving family, a best friend named Mark Sborov, and a special girlfriend named Margie Lade. They were never told about Jim’s diagnosis; and even more heartbreaking, they were never able to say goodbye to their best friend before he died. Jim’s parents knew his condition was terminal but decided not to tell their son that he was dying. Instead, they told him he was sick and was getting weaker because of a blood disorder. They told Mark and Margie and their parents the truth, that Jim had leukemia. “I’ll never forget the day he died,” Margie recalls. “It’s been over 50 years, but it still feels like it just happened yesterday.”
Over time, Mark and Margie grew closer because of the experience they had shared. Nobody else understood it – the grief of losing someone so young and that they cared so much about. Their relationship evolved into much more, and before their senior year of college, Mark and Margie married, and following graduation, Mark started medical school.
Oncology and cancer became passions for Mark. To be able to talk to patients about their experiences, both living with cancer and dying from cancer. To be able to sit down with patients and really connect with them, help them, and be there for them. Following Mark’s residency and the birth of two children, Margie knew that she wanted to be involved in the field of cancer as well. She created a role as a patient advocate and saw first-hand the issues that cancer patients faced and the heartbreaking decisions they had to make. “Do I skip treatment so I can pay my rent?” “Should I cut my medication in half and hope it still works so that I can afford groceries to feed my family?” Recognizing patients often had nowhere to turn for help, Margie and Mark felt compelled to start a non-profit organization that could offer financial assistance for basic, non-medical needs to adult cancer patients and their families.
In 2005, a program for children who had a parent or loved one with cancer was created, when it became apparent that financial concerns were only part of the stress and uncertainty families face. Originally a year-long educational support program, Angel Foundation’s™ Adult and Family Program (AFP) has evolved to have a broader focus, offering educational and emotional support to both individuals and families. Making Memories provides opportunities for families to attend sporting events, theater productions, and other fun activities. A cancer diagnosis can limit finances for extras like entertainment and dining out. Angel Foundation™ understands the importance of spending time together and finding everyday moments of joy during an extremely challenging time. Online and in-person Education Courses are available for all ages on topics like nutrition, managing chronic pain, staying active, and much more. Angel Packs™ are age-appropriate kits for parents and children to help adults talk to children about cancer and help children understand what cancer is using evidence-based research to deliver accurate and easily digestible information. Family Camp Angel is a traditional day camp that provides a perfect blend of serious and silly activities for the entire family.
In 2019 Angel Foundation™ developed the Financial Cancer Care program (FCC). Patients and caregivers connect with a Social Worker and a Pro Bono Certified Financial Planner™ through educational workshops and one-on-one meetings. The goal of the program is to create a road map for patients to help decrease anxiety about managing finances as they navigate the potentially devastating effects of cancer-related financial toxicity. This program also connects patients to additional support options and resources.
From the very beginning Angel Foundation’s™ mission has been to offer relief to adults with cancer and their loved ones through financial assistance, education, and emotional support. As founders, Margie and Mark Sborov remain as passionate today about helping individuals and families facing cancer as they were in 1964.
