Palisadian Launches Fundraiser to Assist Longtime Local Business Owner

By LILY TINOCO | Reporter

Palisadian Naz Sykes has launched a fundraiser in support of Fahi Rafiei, owner of Fahi’s Skin and Wax Bar on Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades.

Sykes told the Palisadian-Post that Rafiei was initially diagnosed with cancer over eight years ago and had a recurrence this past June. Due to the nature of the disease, she has not been able to work since July.

Sykes said Rafiei is currently in London and in and out of a coma, and to return to the United States, she would require a flight on an airplane equipped for medical services.

Sykes, who has known Rafiei for over five years, wanted to find a way to support her through this challenging time.

“She is such a beloved figure in our community,” she said about Rafiei.

Sykes launched a GoFundMe to help raise money for her medical expenses and to help bring her back to the States.

“It’s all very heartbreaking,” Sykes said to the Post. “Fahi has a heart of gold and was always available to listen and help her clients. She never thought in a million years that when she went to London in June she would be stuck there and fighting for her life.

“She has two young daughters and a husband who have gone back and forth trying to take care of her from a distance. She also has an amazing staff and aestheticians who are helping run the business. But Fahi … is irreplaceable when it comes to her skills and just who she is as a person: an incredibly strong and determined woman who has been fighting her cancer for so long.”

As the Post went to print Tuesday evening, $26,701 of the $100,000 goal had been raised.

“This is our chance to step up and help Fahi and her family in order to bring her back home … ,” according to the GoFundMe. “Anything you can donate will go towards bringing Fahi back home.”

Originally from London, where she ran a similar spa for 18 years, Rafiei has established a well-loved, go-to business in the Palisades. The Skin and Wax Bar is known for its Guinot, Intraceuticals and signature facials, as well as waxing, threading and microdermabrasion.

Those who wish to make a donation can do so at gofund.me/2caf4e23.