A Barrie, Ont. mother says she's overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers who saved her car from being towed while she waited in hospital for almost nine hours with her sick baby son.

Kaylee Goemans thought she would only be at Royal Victoria Hospital for several hours on July 13, but as three hours ticked by before a doctor came, she grew concerned her car would be removed.

Goemans, who had only paid for four hours of parking, sent a message to a Facebook group for local mothers asking them if they knew whether her car would get ticketed or towed.

Her message garnered more than 100 comments from women who offered to stop by the parking meter to top it up.

"I'm not far. I can go put change in it for you in about an hour on my way back home if you are still there," Elisha LeeAnn wrote.

"I live not too far from the hospital. Will head over now and top up the meter for you!" Rachel Banks added.

Nine hours at hospital

Goemans, who spent nearly nine hours at the hospital, said she was "completely overwhelmed. I was completely grateful. It made a very tough and stressful situation a lot easier for me. It made me able to focus on my son's needs rather than having to worry about my car being towed."

Goemans's son Dominic was diagnosed with intussusception, a disorder in which a part of the intestine folds into another, causing severe abdominal pain. Dominic has been ill since the beginning of the month, Goemans said, and his condition hasn't yet improved.

She says hundreds of mothers have asked for updates on Dominic's condition and offered parking passes for Goemans to use on her next trip to the hospital.

Goemans said she's inspired to return the favour to the women who helped her, and has promised to keep in touch and send photos of her son.

"Especially in today's world, it's so hard to find people doing nice things for each other," she said.