A new partnership between two high-profile businesses is about to save 麻豆精选 residents Bristol and her son Henry Debowski a lot of stress and money.
Hope Air 鈥� a charity that covers financial costs for Canadians travelling for medical reasons 鈥� has announced that they鈥檝e partnered with Airbnb to cover free accommodation for those same people travelling.
The Debowskis will be one of the first families to benefit from the new partnership when they stay in a Airbnb free-of-charge next week in Vancouver as part of a medical trip for Henry.
READ MORE: Okanagan Foundation supports Hope Air medical care flights
The families鈥� lives changed considerably last April when Henry was diagnosed with leukemia on April 8, 2019. After Henry got a blood transfusion at 麻豆精选 General Hospital, the family flew to BC Children鈥檚 Hospital in Vancouver from 麻豆精选 the next day to find out further treatment options.
It was then the Debowski鈥檚 found out they鈥檇 have to fly to Vancouver for Henry鈥檚 chemotherapy treatments on a routine basis over the next four years.
While Bristol said they鈥檝e already benefited from free transportation costs from the Hope Air charity, she said the additional accommodation costs saved for Henry鈥檚 medical trips will be an added bonus.
鈥淭his announcement is huge for sure. I won鈥檛 have to come up with any amount of money for trips. That money saved from the trip can be used for Henry鈥檚 medication and food.鈥�
Bristol said the process for getting the accommodation and travel costs covered is extremely easy.
鈥淵ou give (Hope Air) your specialist鈥檚 information, the date and time of your appointment, your doctor鈥檚 contact information, and when you prefer to go,鈥� said Bristol.
鈥�(After), they do a follow-up with the doctor, and they get back to you and say you鈥檙e approved.鈥�
With the new Airbnb partnership, Canadians travelling to city centres for medical trips are eligible to have their accommodation costs covered for up to seven nights.
Bristol said she found out about the service when Henry鈥檚 grandpa was doing research online about affordable transportation between 麻豆精选 and Vancouver. After the discovery, she estimates that her family has already saved thousands of dollars in transportation costs from Hope Air.
鈥淲e鈥檝e probably flown between the two cities close to 30 times,鈥� said Bristol.
鈥淚鈥檓 estimating that we鈥檝e saved five to ten thousand dollars from the service so far.鈥�
When asked about what Henry thought of the new service, he had a pretty clear answer.
鈥� I think it鈥檚 amazing.鈥�
@connortrembley
connor.trembley@kelownacapnews.com
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