Saturday will witness a liquidation sale like no other.

Local designer and artist Lea-Ann Dorval is purging her Marsh Lake studio of clothing, jewelry and artwork in an effort to help her ailing 3 1/2-year-old nephew Oscar and his parents.

In April, Oscar was diagnosed with Wilms' tumour, a rare childhood cancer in the kidneys. It has spread to his lungs and lymph nodes since he had a kidney removed in the early part of his treatment.

The illness first came to the attention of his grandfather who was giving the young boy a tummy rub after Oscar had complained of a stomach ache.

His grandfather felt a lump and immediately called to his dad, Dorval's brother Pat. The family was soon at the hospital emergency ward and within a day, they were off to Vancouver from their home in Gibsons, B.C. for the further tests which confirmed the cancer.

The situation means his parents, Pat and Ange, aren't working right now as they stay close to Oscar's side during treatment, expected to continue for the next 31 weeks in Vancouver. That city is two hours (including a ferry ride) away from their home in Gibsons.

It was a fund-raiser happening for the family in Gibsons that pushed Dorval to liquidate her stock to raise money for her brother's family

She had initially thought of sending some stock down for the silent auction at an event her brother's friends were having for them in Gibsons.

Looking at the extensive amount of clothing, art and jewelry in her Marsh Lake studio, she instead decided to sell it all off locally, knowing more Yukoners would likely know her work better than residents of the B.C. community.

Deciding to sell off most items at half price, or, in the case of her jewelry work, 25 per cent off with just a few items at full cost, Dorval hosted the first part of her sale last weekend at her studio.

"It was bananas; it was crazy,” she said of the many shoppers who came in looking for one of her pieces and to help out the family. "It's incredible how much people care.”

Over the course of that one-day sale, Dorval saw a lot of stock leave her studio, with $7,000 coming in.

She can't recall anyone who came in and didn't leave with something.

With many of last weekend's customers being from the Marsh Lake area, she's hoping this weekend's session will give those living in Whitehorse an opportunity to purchase an original piece.

Dorval has no set goal for Saturday's event, noting she simply wants to raise as much as possible knowing the family can use it for a "bazillion things”.

It will go to whatever expenses need covering – from rent and other regular monthly bills to potential medical costs not covered under the health care system.

She will bring the sale into town Saturday at Maggie T's Hair Design across from the Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport at 121 Hillcrest Dr. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"This is a fund-raiser, sort of,” Dorval stated in a poster advertising the sale.

"By purchasing a piece from this sale, you will be helping my family in a time of terrible crisis, but you will also be investing in a piece of wearable art that you will have for many years. It is a win-win situation in terms of a sale.”

While Dorval sells her wares, Maggie T will also be on hand to do feather hair extensions.

With no equipment to accept plastic payment in the form of debit or credit cards, Dorval is asking customers to come prepared to pay with cash or a cheque.

If there's any stock left, she said, she may arrange to have it sold while she's away helping the family out in the coming weeks.

Dorval plans to stay in B.C. for as long as she can, with many other family members also coming to assist.

While Dorval has been doing all she can in raising money for her brother's family, she's still felt "pretty helpless” being so far away.

It was her brother, she said, who has provided those who believe in the power of positive thinking a way to help by asking that the mantra: "Oscar Dorval will be fine... he is magic” be said once a day.

"By thinking this, saying this, praying this, believing this; you will be helping to heal my three-year-old nephew with your positive thoughts and energy,” states Dorval's poster.