Cancer Survivor Offers to Pay Strangers’ Hospital Parking Fees

For her 63rd birthday, cancer survivor Krystyna Locke decided to give back instead of focusing on herself. After a 20-year battle with lymphoma, she knows firsthand how quickly the costs of treatment can add up. That’s why she chose to ease the burden for others by covering their parking fees at the London Health Sciences Centre in Canada.

In 2004, Locke was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and began attending the cancer clinic in London every six months, a routine she maintained for nearly two decades. In 2023, her lymphoma developed into a far more aggressive form, requiring intensive treatment and more frequent visits to the clinic. During this time, she became increasingly aware of the financial burden that treatment can impose, particularly the often-overlooked costs of parking.

“Throughout my treatments, I became more and more aware of the financial strain that going through treatment can create for some people—specifically when it comes to parking,” writes Locke on her fundraising campaign page. “If people have to choose between grabbing a coffee or paying for parking—they have to choose parking. And as someone who has been through it, I know how important those small comforts can be. I am now cancer-free and I feel it is my time to give back.”

One Tuesday in August, Locke set up near an entrance at the London Health Sciences Centre with a pile of parking vouchers and a banner that read: “Happy birthday to me. Your parking is free.” Her gesture touched many—some thanked her with hugs, while others were even moved to tears. “The need is there,” Locke said. “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.”

Locke also set up a fund through London Health Sciences Foundation, which has already raised more than $5,200 to date. She plans to return each summer in celebration of her birthday and to offer free parking to those visiting the clinic. “Krystyna’s generosity is a powerful reminder of how lived experiences can inspire meaningful change,” said John H. MacFarlane, president and CEO of LHSF. “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.”

Find out more and donate to Locke’s campaign here.