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LMH parking ticket waived for mom of injured four-year-old

Fraser Health Authority rep acknowledges 'extenuating circumstances' and offers to reimburse Langley woman's $80 payment
John Gordon
Lanmgley Memorial Hospital Front Entrance 2008
Fraser Health Authority has agreed to reverse an $80 parking ticket that was issued to a Langley mother when she took her four-year-son to the emergency room. Her letter struck a chord with many readers, who say pay-parking has no place at an ER.

Fraser Health Authority plans to waive the $80 parking ticket Langley resident Su VanderHorst received after rushing her four-year-old son into emergency at Langley Memorial Hospital with a serious head injury.

"Clearly here we have extenuating circumstances and we don't want to cause any further hardship and would like to waive the ticket," said FHA spokesperson Tasleem Juma.

VanderHorst wrote in a letter to The Times that she took her four-year-old son to LMH emergency after he tripped and banged his head on some school bleachers, resulting in a concussion and a gash on his forehead.

When she had arrived at the ER, the boy was still vomiting, bleeding, and in obvious pain. He was immediately brought in to see doctors.

Numerous stitches and a couple of hours later, she returned to her vehicle, to find an $80 parking ticket.

VanderHorst's letter has struck a chord with readers, garnering numerous comments from people who shared similar stories or those who found it appalling that those in emergency situations have to worry about paying for parking. Some believe emergency shouldn't be paid parking.

Fraser Health notes that people in similar circumstances should reach out to them.

"We are here to help. Our goal is not to make things more difficult," Juma said.

VanderHorst didn't know her letter had hit home with people. She said she had paid the ticket right away because she was told by many people there wasn't a point in fighting it. She is now in touch with FHA about reversing that payment.

There are other circumstances in which it may benefit people to speak with hospital administration about parking.

If people are making frequent visits to a patient or are receiving long-term treatments and need to park at the hospital often, there are parking passes that can be purchased at a reduced rate. There are also senior rates, she said.

The Times will have more on parking at the hospital next week.



Monique Tamminga

About the Author: Monique Tamminga

Monique brings 20 years of award-winning journalism experience to the role of editor at the Penticton Western News. Of those years, 17 were spent working as a senior reporter and acting editor with the Langley Advance Times.
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