Beating Cancer Required A Mountain Of Money For Parking: She Now Raises Funds For Other Cars

Beating Cancer Required A Mountain Of Money For Parking: She Now Raises Funds For Other Cars

Given all the expenses and anxieties that come with battling cancer, one might think that parking fees really shouldn’t be among them.

Yet as wild as that may sound, some hospitals and cancer centers in Canada either charge for parking—as much as CAD$12 a day—or don’t have large enough on-site parking, forcing patients to park in private lots or on the street where the costs can be even higher.

A 6-month battle against cancer means those parking fees can breach the thousands column, but one cancer survivor is fundraising to pay for cancer patients’ parking, ensuring that in at least one sense they have no burden to bare.

That’s the story of Krystyna Locke, who battled lymphoma for 20 years, and is now giving back in the weeks following her birthday to support those walking a similar path.

She’s raising funds to cover parking costs for patients and families visiting the Verspeeten Family Cancer Center (VFCC) at London Health Sciences Center in Ontario, where she received treatment for so long.

“The need is there,” Krystyna said in a statement. “Some people have to come in every day for treatment, and parking can feel like one more thing to deal with. I wanted to spark some joy in their day.”

Diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2004, Locke visited the cancer clinic every 6 months for over 2 decades. In 2023, her illness transformed into a more aggressive form, but today, she is cancer-free and focused on giving back.

“When I was done my treatments, I just felt like I needed to do something more,” she told CBC News, adding that patients walking in for their first cancer treatment feel like the rug has been pulled out from under them and aren’t even sure how long they have to live: imagine paying—or even remembering to pay— the twenty bucks for parking under those circumstances.

Now, during the two weeks either side of her 63rd birthday, Locke waits at a booth with parking vouchers and a sign that reads “Happy Birthday to me, you’re parking is free.”

“Today, I received hugs. I received kisses on the cheek. I shared tears with people. I shared laughter. There was joking. It just completely lightens the mood,” Locke said.

“We are deeply grateful to Krystyna for her generosity and compassion toward patients at the Verspeeten Family Cancer Center,” said Carey Landry, director of the South West Regional Cancer Program. “Facing a cancer diagnosis is an emotional journey, and helping cover parking costs removes one worry for patients and their families. Krystyna’s kindness is a shining example of the difference one person can make in our community.”

Krystyna has a fund set up through the LHSF where she has raised over $5,000 to date. She plans to return each summer in honor of her birthday to continue giving back.

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“This is also a part of my own healing process,” she said in the statement. “I want to show my children and grandkids how meaningful it can be to give to others.”

“Her gift lifts a weight off patients and families during one of the most difficult times of their lives. We’re proud to support her mission,” said John H. MacFarlane, president and CEO of LHSF.

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When questioned by CBC reporters, an LHSF spokesperson acknowledged the cost of the parking and the burden it imposes, but said that it goes to pay for hospital operations—per a law passed in 2016 in the province of Ontario that requires them to do so. The law also offers patients, their family members and visitors 5-day, 10-day, and 30-day passes for half the normal daily rate.

The real challenge, the spokesperson said, is when there’s either no parking or not enough parking, and patients have to go off-campus to find some. As long as Locke has a say, though, they won’t have to.