Strangers and friends rally to help as Ontario singer Coco Love Alcorn battles cancer

Ontario musician Coco Love Alcorn has performed at music festivals and concert halls from coast to coast — but after spending six hours in the hospital ER on her 51st birthday, an unexpected discovery of a cancerous cyst brought her music career to a halt.

After receiving the news, Alcorn couldn't help but ask the hospital staff: "I'm supposed to leave in mid-January to go to B.C. to record my new album. Will I still be able to do that?"

The reply was sobering: "You're going to need to cancel your upcoming plans."

Alcorn, originally from Nova Scotia, has been performing her soulful music for more than two decades and lives with her family at the base of the Bruce Peninsula in Owen Sound, Ont., where she runs a local choir called the Wonderland Singers.

One-by-one, she had to cancel her music bookings, from her choir's upcoming concerts to recording her next album on the west coast, leaving her income in limbo.

"My income is now obliterated," she told CBC's Afternoon Drive, noting as a musician she doesn't have access to benefits, sick leave or employment insurance.

"I don't even know what's coming my way as other costs come," she said. "I'm just at the very beginning outset of this."

Surgery didn't remove all of the aggressive cancer, and on New Year's Eve she began treatment a three-hour drive from her home to Victoria Hospital in London, Ont. After four rounds of chemotherapy, she'll face another surgery and hospital stay, along with months of immunotherapy.

With mounting costs and stresses, Alcorn's neighbour and friend Emily Stupple knew more people would want to reach out and support her, if they had the chance.

At first Coco was hesitant, Stupple said, but eventually agreed to let her help.

"Ultimately, I think she understood that she wasn't going to be able to do this alone," said Stupple.

Stupple launched a GoFundMe online fundraiser which has since raised more than $190,000 to cover Alcorn's costs and expenses.

"I didn't expect the response that we've had, but I knew that Coco has touched so many people," said Stupple.

"Having been in her choir, having seen the way that she impacts people in terms of her community singing and her connection, there was no doubt in my mind that people would want to jump in and support Coco."