Friends come together for Kelowna man who is fighting cancer

As a breast cancer survivor, Sylvia Bourassa knew that when her friend was diagnosed with leukemia she had to do something to help him.

“When I first found out and it was on Facebook, I did not sleep that night,” Bourassa said.

Bourassa, the owner of a Kelowna modeling agency, is organizing a fashion show fundraiser to benefit, Joel Koette, who put his life on hold in April following the cancer diagnosis.

“He’s gone through the worst kind of chemotherapy that you can go on where they almost kill you then they bring you back,” Bourassa said. “He’s had blood transfusions. He’s had a bone marrow transplant. Now all of that is done. Now he’s just got to heal and get stronger, get better.”

After six months undergoing treatment at Vancouver General Hospital, Koette has 100 more days of testing ahead of him before he can return to Kelowna.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will help Koette, a second year nursing student at UBC Okanagan, pay his bills in both cities.

Tickets for “Storm – A Runway Fundraiser”, which takes place Thursday, Oct. 4th event at Summerhill Pyramid Winery, are $35 and can be purchased at this link to eventbrite.ca . Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Summerhill donated its Vineyard Ballroom for the event, while numerous Kelowna businesses have donated $3,000 worth of door prizes.

Shine Models will feature clothing from Frakas, Jigsaw Clothing Co., LBV Lifestyle boutique and the Wardrobe boutique. Denise Barnes and her team are doing the makeup and hair for the models.