Organizers of an upcoming country music concert in Cloverdale say they’ve been moved to act by the pluck and determination of a young man who has refused to give up his cancer fight.
From the Heart of Country – Never Give Up is a fundraiser featuring live performances by Country music star Rod Black, Jesse Allen, FM, and special guest Trevor Dennis.
The event is slated for Saturday, April 2 at Shannon Hall, and all proceeds will go directly to Brandon Durieux’s medical costs.
Brandon is a 24-year-old South Surrey native and newlywed who is undergoing treatment for leukemia at a clinic in Texas, at enormous personal expense.
The fundraising concert will include a raffle and silent auction along with the music performances by the Southern Row Records artists.
Organizer Lori Watson says they’re looking for donations of auction items and cash contributions to a gofundme campaign that has been set up by the couple.
Remarkably, Watson has never met Brandon Durieux – nor has headliner Rod Black, a country singer known for the song Keepin On.
“I heard about Brandon’s story from my server at Cactus Club,” says Watson, explaining at the time, she was on the phone talking to her sister, who was with Black, and he heard the story, too.
“We both wanted to do something.”
What initially started as plan for Black to put on an acoustic performance at a burger and beer event morphed into the pair starting a charity called From the Heart of Country.
“I now consider Brandon family and so does Rod, even though we have never met him,” Watson says.
As of Monday, they had about 300 tickets left for the event, which will be recorded and turned into a video that will be available for download by donation.
Meanwhile, there is promising news out of Texas, where Michelle Durieux is reporting that initial treatments seem to be working.
“A month and a half ago, Brandon’s primary doctor in Canada told us that he was terminally ill,” Michelle writes in an update on the gofundme page. “Today, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I can’t even begin to tell you all how excited we are that this treatment is working!”
Last August, they received the devastating news that Brandon had Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a rapidly-progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
When chemotherapy failed, Brandon was put on a drug trial late last year. It seemed at first things were improving, but in late January, the couple was told by Brandon’s doctors there were no other treatment options.
He’s now being treated as part of a drug trial at MD Anderson Cancer Centre, in Houston, TX. The cost isn’t covered by B.C.’s Medical Services Plan.
The last eight months of treatment have been long and difficult, Michelle added.
“Through it all, Brandon has been nothing but brave, courageous, positive and strong,” she says. “I am amazed at the strength of my husband who inspires me each and every day. He will never give up or give in.”
A fundraising goal of $250,000 has been set to help the couple cover medical costs at www.gofundme.com/HelpBrandonBeatAML. About half of that has been reached.
Tickets to the April 2 show are are $25. They’re available at eventbrite.com/e/from-the-heart-of-country-never-give-up-tickets-22548724843.
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