LaSalle pushes for travel grant program for southern Ontarians who travel for medical care
Mother says she's spent thousands each year to take son to London Children's Hospital
The Town of LaSalle is attempting to drum up support for a lobbying effort aimed at securing a medical travel grant program for southern Ontario. It's meant to help cover the costs of travelling outside Windsor-Essex for necessary medical treatment.
Council has sent a letter to other Ontario municipalities asking them to support their call for a Northern Health Travel Grant equivalent in the south.
Ontario provides the Northern Health Travel Grant to residents of northern Ontario to reimburse some of the costs of receiving care far from home.
Mayor Crystal Meloche said she was inspired to advocate for a similar program after hearing from residents who were spending thousands of dollars to bring children to London for specialized pediatric care.
"I was actually originally contacted by a resident who is making that trip … with their little one, and they're feeling those financial pressures and that added stress to their situation," she said.
"And they heard about the grant in northern Ontario and said, 'You know, we travel just as much down here up the 401 as they do.' And you know, they're not wrong … We're traveling almost 200 kilometres to London to get those health care facilities that we need that aren't offered here."
Some services not provided in Windsor
A number of services are not provided at the Windsor Regional Hospital because the volume of cases is too low to provide them safely, a spokesperson told CBC News in an email.
"That's why we don't do cardiac open heart-bypass surgeries, some types of rarer cancers (head and neck), organ [transplants], advanced burn cases, rare-less common diseases, etc." Steve Erwin said.
Kaitlin Lowe's three-and-a-half-year-old son is one patient who needs expert care outside the city.
He was born with a serious bowel disorder and requires frequent trips to the Children's Hospital in London, she said.
Lowe's family loves the medical team there, she said, but having to travel for two hours to see them is challenging.
"Oftentimes we are not fortunate enough to get into Ronald McDonald's house," she said.
"That means no break from the hospital room. That means no access to a shower and meals. But that also means that we're on the hook to pay for [a] hotel … and that means we're on the hook for extra meals."
A spokesperson for Ronald McDonald House confirmed that its three southwestern Ontario locations, two of which are in London, turned away 255 families in 2024 due to being over capacity.
The majority of those families were turned away from homes in London.
We basically [serve people] up the lake all the way to Thunder Bay, so we're covering a huge catchment area," Kent Guy said.
Out of pocket for hotels
Lowe and her family weren't able to access Ronald McDonald House during their last four-day trip to London in January, meaning they were once again out of pocket for hotels and meals.
What's more, she estimated that they spent $150 per day in gas alone because her husband drove between the cities every day to care for their other children in Windsor while also supporting the family in London.
"Over the last almost four years we spent thousands for all of the hospital stays," Lowe wrote in an email to CBC News.
However, not all of her family's expenses would be covered under a program that parallels the Northern Health Travel Grant.
The grant covers a patient's transportation expenses and provides an allowance for accommodation such as hotels.
It covers the same costs for a travel companion provided the companion accompanies the patient on the journey, and the patient cannot travel without them.
It does not cover additional costs such as meals, taxis and ride-shares.
But Lowe said she'd appreciate any help she could get with her family's expenses.
"We'll take whatever help we can get at this point," she said. "Give us something."
CBC News asked a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health if it's open to considering a travel grant program for southern Ontario.
In a response, the province touted spending on the new Windsor-Essex acute care hospital, outlining a new pediatric care centre and pediatric emergency room, saying it will improve access to pediatric services in the region.
LaSalle council sent copies of its letter to the local health unit and local MPPs, Meloche said.