'Amazing people' lend Halifax Airbnb to family of sick patient

Christmas holidays can be very difficult for families who have loved ones staying in hospital, but for a Kings County, N.S., family forced to spend Christmas in Halifax, the situation was made a little brighter when a rental unit was offered to them free of charge.

Shelley LeBlanc and her husband, Julian d'Entremont, own a unit on Brenton Street that they rent out through Airbnb. She said they were inspired to offer up the unit because of a personal experience she had growing up.

"We had a similar incident of staying at a hotel and it gets really expensive," she said.

LeBlanc said her family was living in Antigonish, but spent a lot of time in Halifax when their father had an extended hospital stay.

She posted the offer on Facebook for four free nights of accommodations, although that was later extended by a day. The unit usually rents out for $95 per night.

A family from Harmony, N.S.,is now staying at the unit.

"They were staying at the Atlantica [Hotel]and I got the impression that they had been spending a lot of time and a lot of money on accommodations," said LeBlanc.

She was right.Prior to going to the QEII hospitalfor surgery to remove a brain tumour, 58-year-old Betty Wiswell and her partner had paid over $1,000 for their accommodations.

"I think they are amazing people and how kind of them to think of someone else over the holidays," said Sue Siscoe, Wiswell's sister, who is also staying at the Airbnb.

"We appreciate it and it gives us a place close enough that we can walk back and forth."

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