Summerland’s Maple Roch gives back to one of their own

There’s nothing like a cold treat on a hot day and Summerland’s Maple Roch has sweetened the deal by donating a portion of each ice cream sale to one of their own.

Mirjana Komljenovic, the business coordinator at Maple Roch, has a rare condition, Hermansky Pudlak Syndrome, a form of pulmonary fibrosis. It is a lung disease that occurs when the lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred.

“Mirjana was one of the first employees that we hired, she is a rock. We didn’t have much money but Mirjana was always there to help us out,” said Roch Fortin, Maple Roch owner.

“She really helped me out in the beginning, now it’s my turn.”

The maple syrup and ice cream shop is hosting a meeting of Mirjana’s Movement, a group that calls themselves ‘soul sisters’ and helps their friend pay for the expensive prescription medication she can’t live without.

“Albinism is a condition I was born with, which causes my light fair skin and my vision impairment and Hermansky Pudlak Syndrome is a disorder from Albinism that causes excessive bleeding and the pulmonary fibrosis all of it pretty fatal,” said Komljenovic.

Komljenovic says the women she calls her warriors give her the strength to deal with her conditions.

“To have the community and all my team of warriors support me is the reason that I want to keep fighting,” said Komljenovic.

“They have turned a hopeless situation into hope and they have given me the greatest gift there is.”

The group of women are her advocates because Komljenovic means a lot to them.

“We have been able to raise quite a bit of money for her medication because the cost is so high and also helping write letters of support so she can get funding and advocating on her behalf,” said Kathleen Beauchamp Bloom of Mirjana’s Movement.

For more information about Mirjana’s Movement and other upcoming fundraisers follow their Facebook Page.