Health care backlog keeps B.C. seniors separated after 62 years of marriage

The story of a British Columbia couple has gone viral after their granddaughter posted a photo of the pair crying to social media.

Anita and Wolf Gottschalk live in a transitional facility for people waiting to get into nursing homes in Surrey, but the couple live apart. They have been together for 62 years but have been separated for eight months due to backlogs and delays in the health care system. According to their granddaughter Ashley, they cry every time they see each other. She calls the meetings heartbreaking to see.

On Tuesday, Wolf was diagnosed with Lymphoma. Ashely says her grandfather suffers from dementia and each day it grows stronger and stronger as his memory fades away.

“His Dementia is growing ever stronger each day, but his memory of my grandmother has not faded an inch...yet. We are afraid however that if they are living apart much longer, his memory of her won't stay,” said Ashley on social media.

The family says the strain on them is frustrating as it takes 30-minutes every second day to take Wolf to see Anita.

“Now with the news of cancer, our fight to have them in the same facility is even more urgent. He isn't even getting proper care where he is, including no physical therapy which we were promised,” Ashley added.

Ashley says the family has contacted their local MLA, spoke with Fraser Health and done in-person inquiries. The family has yet to be contacted by Fraser Health and hope their concerns will be addressed soon. The family’s story has since been picked up by media outlets around the world and Ashley says she is grateful for all the support they have been receiving. She hopes it brings attention to the current situation taking place with B.C.’s medical system.