Enjoying a delicious feast could save a little boy91裸聊视频檚 life.

Four-year-old Jwan is the youngest of Ameen Shekhmous and Salam Kefo91裸聊视频檚 three children. The family of five Kurdish refugees is living in the northern Iraq town of Erbil.

Jwan has a congenital condition that requires surgery within the next three or four years to prevent the development of significant cancer and inadequate development at puberty, says Dr. Brian Ayotte.

But, because the family, who risked their lives escaping from Syria, do not have Iraqi citizenship, they have no access to medical coverage or education. The family91裸聊视频檚 savings were spent on securing a CT scan for Jwan, which identified the serious condition. And the head of one of the surgical specialties at Children91裸聊视频檚 Hospital in Vancouver has agreed to perform the necessary operation.

A total of $45,000 must be available to support the family for a year in order to get federal government support to bring the family to Salmon Arm. Members of the Shekhmous family in Vancouver have raised $12,000 on their own and the local community has contributed $18,000.

In order to help raise the remaining $15,000, a Syrian feast will be held in St. Joseph91裸聊视频檚 Church hall on Saturday, Oct. 26.

Kurdish Syrians Gulistan Abdo and her husband Lokman Mustafa arrived in Salmon Arm in 2016 and are good friends with the Vancouver branch of the Shekhmous family. After more than two years of failed attempts to get sponsorship for the family, the Salmon Arm couple approached Ayotte.

Failing to find church support in the Lower Mainland through his contacts, the retired cardiologist turned to the local community. 

The new Shuswap Community Coalition is comprised of a representative from St. Joseph91裸聊视频檚, St. John91裸聊视频檚 Anglican Church, Deo Lutheran Church and Shuswap Community Church.

Food for the Oct. 26 Syrian feast will be provided by Gullistan Abdo and her all-women team of cooks, and Lokman Mustafa will perform Syrian music on a bazuk, a traditional Syrian instrument. 

Doors at the entrance on St. Joseph91裸聊视频檚 First Street parking lot open at 6:15 p.m. Tickets are $65 and receipts will be given for donations above the ticket price. Organizers are hoping to secure a Skype link with the family in Iraq as they did during a 91裸聊视频淲alk in Our Shoes91裸聊视频� event in June.

Tickets are available at St. Joseph91裸聊视频檚 Church office from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays.