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<\/p>\nFor father of four Shane Braniff, every day is a battle, a life consumed by relentless pain and constant fear.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI was diagnosed last year with a rare form of epilepsy that\u2019s located in the frontal left lobe of my brain,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The seizures began in 2023 and quickly became all-consuming.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the first one, they started coming very fast, very frequent. I was having anywhere from three to nine seizures a day,\u201d Braniff said.<\/p>\n
Since then, he says his doctor and private neurologist have repeatedly sent requests to Kelowna General Hospital for brain surgery, a procedure he believes could relieve dangerous pressure building inside his skull.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019ll save my life\u2026 it\u2019ll change everything. Over the last six months, the last year, my doctors have sent letters to the neurosurgeon and haven\u2019t heard a thing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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With no response, Braniff fears time may not be on his side.<\/p>\n
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\u201cMaybe I\u2019ll hear from the neurosurgeon tomorrow and he\u2019ll book my surgery two, three years down the road, but that might not do me any good. Maybe three weeks from now, I might not wake up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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His case is also raising broader concerns about access to neurological care. Earlier this year, Interior Health confirmed a neurologist shortage at Kelowna General Hospital.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI hear every day from people who are struggling to get communication from the health care system,\u201d said Kelowna-Mission Conservative MLA Gavin Dew.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are too many patients who are stuck in limbo, who are suffering, who are in pain, and can\u2019t get clear answers.\u201d<\/p>\n
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In a statement to Global News, Interior Health said referrals to neurology and neurosurgery come through multiple channels, with hospital and community physicians working together to support triage and continuity of care.<\/p>\n
\u201cInterior Health continues to strengthen neurology services at Kelowna General Hospital through recruitment and service improvements,\u201d said IH.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo neurologists who joined the team in 2025 have recently been licensed and credentialled, helping fill on-call shifts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Medication has helped dull Braniff\u2019s seizures, but not the damage. He says pressure on his brain is forcing his eyes outward, reshaping his head, and leaving him in life-altering pain.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard being broken. It\u2019s hard not being able to provide for my family the way I used to,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n