VIA Rail Offers Free Train Travel for Families in Need

VIA Rail Canada announced on Wednesday that it will offer free train rides for patients at Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) who are traveling to the hospital as well as other specialized pediatric centers for care.

The rail company is partnering with Children’s Health Foundation on this initiative, which they say marks the beginning of a “first-of-its-kind partnership in Canada.”

Philippe Normand, a spokesperson for the company, mentioned that every family’s experience is unique, but when a child needs medical attention, transportation should never add to their burden.

“Moving families that need care to hospital, for us, it’s truly inspiring,” Normand told reporters at a press conference.

This initiative comes from a three-year commitment made by VIA Rail, aimed at assisting families traveling from all over Ontario – “removing a significant barrier to care for those who already face the emotional and financial strain of a child’s serious illness,” said the new partners in a news release.

“We are in discussion with other organizations to see if we could repeat the same model across the country,” Normand stated.

‘It gives some peace of mind’

Elizabeth and Jake Doerksen, whose five-year-old son Oakley was diagnosed before birth with a rare condition called CODAS Syndrome, which has only a two percent survival rate, welcomed this news.

The parents explained that Oakley has undergone a complex medical journey involving multiple diagnoses and ongoing health issues.

Elizabeth and Jake Doerksen, with their five-year-old son Oakley. (Dalson Chen/CBC)

The family resides in Leamington, Ont., and travels to Children’s Hospital in London several times each month. Recently they’ve also been going to Montreal for specialized care.

“We were very excited because we had talked about it a few times. We’re like, it would be so handy to be able to just take a train,” Elizabeth shared.

“So when we got the call that this was part of the plan, we were thrilled.”

She added that free train travel will reduce stress and allow them more time with their son.

“I feel like as parents when you’re driving and the weather is stressful and kids are crying; it just makes traveling much harder. So it gives some peace of mind.”

VIA Rail’s leadership and generosity will have a profound impact on the families we support.- Tim Tribe, VP of philanthropy, Children’s Health Foundation

Children’s Hospital in London acts as a pediatric referral center throughout Ontario. It serves many communities like Windsor-Essex where numerous families must travel long distances for specialized services such as cancer treatment or surgeries related to rare diseases.

Tim Tribe, vice-president of philanthropy at Children’s Health Foundation noted that this partnership means more than just transport – it stands for access, equity, and compassion.

VIA Rail providing vouchers for families

He mentioned that around 60,000 children visit Children’s Hospital in London every year while pointing out that its service area extends from Kitchener-Waterloo all the way to the Windsor border and up toward Manitoba’s border.




“Almost 57 percent of children who come to this hospital live outside London [including] 3,500 children from Windsor-Essex,” he explained.

“What we’ve arranged with VIA is they’re offering vouchers to families who can obtain these by contacting the Pediatric Family Resource Centre at Children’s Hospital.”

Tribe emphasized that they aim “to make sure accessing care for any child needing assistance at Children’s is as straightforward as possible during those trips.”

“We know when families don’t have worries about how they’ll get there; everything changes. VIA Rail’s leadership and generosity will greatly impact these families we’re here to support,” Tribe concluded.

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