Allan Wolfram never would have met his grandson if it weren香蕉视频直播檛 for the treatment he received through clinical trials at BC Cancer-Kelowna.

It was one of several stories the audience heard at an event that saw the Bannister family of Kelowna donate $1.5 million to the BC Cancer Foundation.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 certainly grateful to the staff here, they basically saved my life,香蕉视频直播� Wolfram added.

Wolfram had esophageal cancer which had spread and caused a tumour in his brain.

Weeks after treatment the tumour shrunk and the cancer in his esophagus was gone.

香蕉视频直播淪o yeah, clinical trials are important,香蕉视频直播� he said.

Wolfram香蕉视频直播檚 story resonated with the Bannister family.

香蕉视频直播淥ur family has been touched by cancer,香蕉视频直播� said Chad Bannister, Bannister Automotive Group. 香蕉视频直播淢y grandpa passed away from prostrate cancer, my mom香蕉视频直播檚 dad had colon cancer and survived, my wife had thyroid cancer, I香蕉视频直播檝e had skin cancer.香蕉视频直播�

Bannister said some of his employees and their families are also dealing with cancer.

香蕉视频直播淚f we香蕉视频直播檙e in a position to help make that treatment better and let our staff and let the community focus more on health, then that香蕉视频直播檚 what we香蕉视频直播檙e doing.香蕉视频直播�

Bannister香蕉视频直播檚 father, Lyn, added that stories such as Wolfram香蕉视频直播檚 need to be heard.

香蕉视频直播淎ll this money is being spent on cancer research and people think nothing is happening and you come to an event like this and you realize there are things happening. You listen to Allan, I mean that香蕉视频直播檚 a helluva story. People don香蕉视频直播檛 hear them enough I don香蕉视频直播檛 think.香蕉视频直播�

The Bannister香蕉视频直播檚 donation will go towards creating a new, state-of-the-art systemic therapy suite at BC Cancer-Kelowna.

It will help meet the growing demand for cancer treatments in the Interior, and provide the infrastructure to bring early phase clinical trials to Kelowna for the first time.

While BC Cancer-Kelowna does conduct some clinical trials, once the therapy suite is operating, it opens to door to more and varied trials.

香蕉视频直播淭he earlier clinical trials, we have to be really careful about what impacts they might have on the patients who are participating, so you need better monitoring capability,香蕉视频直播� said Dr. Ross Halperin, executive medical director.

The new therapy suite will have that capability, he explained.

香蕉视频直播淭he data from patients like Allan will inform us and make a therapy that wasn香蕉视频直播檛 available as standard therapy before, and a clinical trial proves that it ought to be standard therapy.香蕉视频直播�

Dr. Halperin added that the Bannister family香蕉视频直播檚 gift will have an incredible impact on how patients will be treated in Kelowna.

Once completed, the therapy suite will serve cancer patients in the Interior.

香蕉视频直播淚f there are trials that are only available in Kelowna, people from all across the province will then be travelling to access those treatments,香蕉视频直播� said Pardeep Khrod, associate vice-president, of BC Cancer Foundation.

The donation is the largest gift to date for the $6.1 million project.

Construction is expected to start in spring 2024 and take approximately 18 months.

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