An Alberta mother is struggling to pay an air-ambulance bill for thousands of dollars after she gave birth prematurely in a northern Ontario hospital and required a medical evacuation.

Amy Savill, of High Prairie, was vacationing with her family in northern Ontario a few weeks ago when she suddenly went into labour, two months before her expected due date.

Savill and her family jumped in their truck and rushed to a hospital in Timmins but she was told that staff were not equipped to oversee births under 32 weeks

An air ambulance was arranged to take Savill to a hospital in Sudbury, four hours away.

The transport came at a cost, somewhere between $10,000 and $30,000, but Savill didn't have time to worry about the money.

"At that point it was life or death for my baby, so we said we'll figure it out later," Savill told CTV Edmonton.

When she reached the hospital, Savill underwent an emergency caesarean section, giving birth to a baby girl, Amelia.

After the procedure, Savill was shocked to find out that her hefty air-ambulance bill would not be paid by the governments of Ontario or Alberta.

"In my mind I was thinking: 'We're in Canada, I'll call Alberta Health Services and it will be fine.' But no, we're being told 'No' everywhere," said Savill.

A spokesperson for the government of Alberta told CTV News that out-of-province emergency ambulance services and hospital transfers are not covered.

And the costs keep mounting for Savill. It could be months before Amelia, who weighs three pounds, is strong enough to be released from hospital and their family can return home.

In the meantime, Savill and her young son have been forced to stay at a hotel in Sudbury so she can remain by her daughter's side.

And she says that she doesn't have the funds to pay for the cost of the ambulance ride, let alone a hotel and accommodations.

However, a charity group called Global Angel has started a fundraiser to help pay for a medical transport to return the family to High Prairie, which they estimate will cost $55,000.

Despite the difficulties, Savill is optimistic.

"I'm keeping my fingers crossed that something positive will happen," said Savill.

With a report from CTV Edmonton