For Chrissa Krahn, a 30-minute medical test meant a 10-hour drive — and leaving her baby and toddler at home while she travelled for care.

The Rainy River working mother was pregnant when she learned she had breast cancer in November 2022. Life with a growing family soon became a balancing act of treatment, travel and arranging support.

“I had to drive all the way to Thunder Bay one day just for an echocardiogram,” she says, expressing one of the greater frustrations with health care realities living in rural and remote areas. “So a 10-hour drive for a 30-minute test that should be offered in our area.”

The distance carried a personal cost as she was forced to prioritize treatment and feeling like she wasn't able to meet the needs of her young children.

“I had to leave my baby and my toddler and make that drive," Chrissa says. "It was hard. It was very hard.”

She estimates her family travelled back and forth to Thunder Bay at least 20 times, beyond the extended time spent there for radiation. That treatment required living away from home for three and a half weeks. That comes with financial costs in addition to the emotional ones.

Fortunately, chemotherapy available a little closer to home in Fort Frances, but those treatments still meant a lengthy round trip to and from Rainy River multiple times per week.

Chrissa's husband Calvin took time away from work to help support her treatment, care for their children and their home. Travel and accommodation added financial pressure. Even organizing appointments and hotels could feel overwhelming.

“I would just get through by thinking, OK, if I can just get to lunchtime … if I can just get to suppertime … if I can just get through the night,” Chrissa says.

She remembers compassionate care, particularly from the chemotherapy nurses. But she also recalls how much energy it took for her just to manage everything surrounding treatment.

“You don’t have the energy to repeat yourself or explain yourself," she says.

Coordinating appointments to reduce trips could have made a meaningful difference, giving her more rest and “peace of mind that they’re kind of looking out for you, too.”

Her question, “How can we make this easier?” helped lead her to the Rainy River District Ontario Health Team’s Patient and Family Advisory Committee. Now, she hopes others will share what receiving health care across the district looks like for them.

“Other people are probably experiencing the same challenges and struggles, and the more people speak up and make these known, then we have more advocacy for making these changes,” Chrissa says.

The Rainy River District Health Care Matters campaign invites residents to share through a public survey and community town halls. Their experiences can help inform future planning with the support of all the district health care providers as RRDOHT voices.

Everyday interactions matter too: finding a provider, receiving helpful support, travelling for an appointment or trying to understand where to turn.

Town halls take place October 20–24 in Atikokan, Fort Frances, Emo and Rainy River. The survey remains open until November 20 by jumping to rrdoht.ca/healthcarematters.

Tell us what health care looks like for you.