By Greg Fry

Fundraising dinner this weekend for Kamloops family suffering through health challenges

Nov 14, 2017 | 10:45 AM

KAMLOOPS — A fundraising dinner will take place this Saturday night to help the family of Kamloops resident Darrin Yusishen.

Yusishen was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour, Glioblastoma, in July. Glioblastoma is the same type of tumour former Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie was diagnosed with that ultimately took his life. Since then, Yusishen has been diagnosed with a second, inoperble cancerous tumour in his brain.

Yusishen and his wife have been off work since the diagnoses, as he receives cancer treatments in Kelowna. To make matters worse, the couple’s daughter Bella suffers from Cornelia De Lange Syndrome, a debilitating and rare disease with no cure. She is 12 but cannot speak, bend her limbs, walk properly or eat. 

Her condition requires around-the-clock care from her parents. The fundraiser has been organized to directly support Yusishen’s treatment and help ease the financial burden the family is facing.

The night will include a silent auction, live auction, 50/50 draw and an appearance by local comedian Lisa Fulcher McCauley.

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Jessica LeBerre, Yusishen’s co-worker at the BC Lottery Corporation in Kamloops, remembers his journey well.

“In July he had some tingling in his fingertips. I remember we were sitting at work talking about it and we were saying, ‘Maybe you have a pinched nerve, you should go to the chiropractor.’”

She says he was diagnosed with the first brain tumour shortly after that.

“And about three weeks after the initial surgery, they did another CAT scan, that’s when they found the inoperable tumour.”

Saturday’s fundraiser starts at 6 p.m. at The Rex. Tickets cost $30 and can be purchased by emailing dinner4d@gmail.com. Organizers are hoping to raise $15,000.