An Alberta businessman and philanthropist has made a significant donation to the help bring a new state-of-the-art therapy suite to Kelowna.

On Friday, Apr. 12, Marshall Eliuk donated $1.5 million to help fund a new systemic therapy suite. The suite will increase BC Cancer 鈥� Kelowna鈥檚 capacity to deliver drug treatments, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy by up to 40 per cent. Infrastructurally, it will offer early phase clinical trials in the Okanagan and Interior, which will accelerate research from lab to patients.

The suite will be named the 鈥楳arshall Eliuk Systemic Therapy Suite鈥�.

鈥淢y wife Judi and I have many beloved family, friends, past customers and employees who currently enjoy this great Okanagan Valley, like ourselves, or have future plans to move to this beautiful valley,鈥� said Eliuk, who spends part of his time in Kelowna. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an honour to give back, especially having experienced firsthand the impact donor support has during health challenges. Cancer is far too common, but I hope this new suite brings hope to families facing this terrible disease.鈥�

Eliuk was been dedicated to making a difference in healthcare in both B.C. and Alberta since the 1990s when he was diganosed with aplastic anemia, a rare blood disorder that impacts one in a million people. It affects bone marrow鈥檚 ability to produce new blood cells.

鈥淭he Marshall Eliuk Systemic Therapy Suite will not only enhance our care capabilities but also bring cutting-edge treatments closer to home for our patients in the Interior,鈥� said BC Cancer - Kelowna executive medical director Dr. Ross Halperin. 鈥淲e鈥檙e grateful for this transformational gift that is fueling our mission at BC Cancer 鈥� Kelowna to remain at the forefront of world-class cancer care close to home.鈥�

This donation is the second of its kind to the BC Cancer Foundation鈥檚 $6.1 million fundraising campaign.

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