Two B.C. seniors who spent several lonely months apart because of limited care home space have finally been reunited, according to their family.
Wolfram and Anita Gottschalk’s story of separation tugged on the heartstrings of people across Canada when their granddaughter shared a photo of the couple crying during a visit last month.
But that painful situation ended on Thursday when Wolfram was finally placed into Anita’s facility in Surrey, the Residence at Morgan Heights.
“The reunion saw tears of joy for all involved. They can now be under the same roof for their remaining years, and we couldn’t be more grateful,” the Gottschalk family said in a statement to CTV News.
Footage of the reunion taken by the family shows the smiling couple sharing a kiss before Anita places her hands on Wolfram’s face.
The Gottschalks thanked the Fraser Health Authority for bringing the pair together, but noted there are other couples waiting in similar situations in the province.
“Our family will continue to advocate for those families as well,” they said.
Wolfram was first separated from Anita in January, due to the 83-year-old’s deteriorating health. Prior to that, the couple had been inseparable for more than six decades.
As he was going in and out of hospital for treatment, Anita moved into Morgan Heights, but they were forced to wait months for a single additional bed to open up for her beloved husband. The family would take her on a 30-minute drive every other day to visit, but said the distance was still taking a toll on both of them.
The situation became especially dire in August, when Wolfram was diagnosed with lymphoma. That’s when the family’s desperation led their granddaughter, Ashley Bartyik, to post the image of them on Facebook, where it was eventually shared more than 10,000 times.
The viral story went far beyond Canada’s borders, leading to news coverage across the U.S. and even in India.
