A Winnipeg cancer patient who vandalized a parking meter in protest over the cost of parking outside hospitals has been handed a dire prognosis.
Collin Kennedy said Friday doctors told him he has between three weeks and six months left to live.
“I’ve always been actual-factual. People love or hate me for it, but when I'm in my privacy and such, that's when it really tends to overwhelm me. I cry. I talk to myself about the situation,” said Kennedy from Health Sciences Centre.
Kennedy became an advocate for free patient and caregiver parking at hospitals in Canada, after he damaged a meter outside CancerCare Manitoba with expanding foam, in the hopes of alleviating the burden and hassle of parking.
The City of Winnipeg told CTV News in June it would cost $4,500 to fix the meter.
“I don’t support vandalism, but it was all wrong. This is all wrong,” said Kennedy’s mom, Julia Berschley. “No mother should have to deal with this. It’s goes against the laws of nature to lose a child,”
READ MORE: Fed up with parking fees, cancer patient vandalizes meter
Kennedy said he's paid $16,600 in parking fees since his cancer diagnosis in 1999.
“Financially, it’s killing me. I’m just not ready to cover these costs and I can’t ask friends and family anymore.” said Berschley.
Petition to Parliament
In July, Kennedy started an online petition asking Parliament to ensure there is adequate cost-free parking for patients and caregivers at medical facilities. In areas metered parking can’t be removed, the petition asked for ways patients can still park in metered spaces, without the cost.
The petition was signed by 12,355 people.
On Dec. 5, 2016 Winnipeg Centre MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette introduced the petition in Parliament.
In an email to CTV Friday, Ouellette said:
“I want to thank Collin Kennedy for everything he has done in raising this issue with Canadians from coast to coast. My office has received phone calls and emails from across the country in support of Collin and his message that parking should never present a barrier to health care. It was my honour to sponsor his petition and I will continue to champion his cause."
"The next step is when this goes through, not if, when this goes through, and I told this to my son, and I said, ‘Son, one day your kids will open a Canadian history book and you can say that's your grandfather in there," said Kennedy.
Generally, the government has 45 days to respond to a petition, but can take longer when the house is not sitting.
“We just want the people of Parliament to do the right thing,” said Kennedy.
