Allan Wolfram never would have met his grandson if it weren害羞草研究所檛 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.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 certainly grateful to the staff here, they basically saved my life,害羞草研究所� 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.

害羞草研究所淪o yeah, clinical trials are important,害羞草研究所� he said.

Wolfram害羞草研究所檚 story resonated with the Bannister family.

害羞草研究所淥ur family has been touched by cancer,害羞草研究所� said Chad Bannister, Bannister Automotive Group. 害羞草研究所淢y grandpa passed away from prostrate cancer, my mom害羞草研究所檚 dad had colon cancer and survived, my wife had thyroid cancer, I害羞草研究所檝e had skin cancer.害羞草研究所�

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

害羞草研究所淚f we害羞草研究所檙e in a position to help make that treatment better and let our staff and let the community focus more on health, then that害羞草研究所檚 what we害羞草研究所檙e doing.害羞草研究所�

Bannister害羞草研究所檚 father, Lyn, added that stories such as Wolfram害羞草研究所檚 need to be heard.

害羞草研究所淎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害羞草研究所檚 a helluva story. People don害羞草研究所檛 hear them enough I don害羞草研究所檛 think.害羞草研究所�

The Bannister害羞草研究所檚 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.

害羞草研究所淭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,害羞草研究所� said Dr. Ross Halperin, executive medical director.

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

害羞草研究所淭he data from patients like Allan will inform us and make a therapy that wasn害羞草研究所檛 available as standard therapy before, and a clinical trial proves that it ought to be standard therapy.害羞草研究所�

Dr. Halperin added that the Bannister family害羞草研究所檚 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.

害羞草研究所淚f there are trials that are only available in Kelowna, people from all across the province will then be travelling to access those treatments,害羞草研究所� 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.

READ MORE: Kelowna auto dealers drive $230k campaign to support BC Cancer

READ MORE: Changes to short-term rentals good for Kelowna, says mayor