For father of four Shane Braniff, every day is a battle, a life consumed by relentless pain and constant fear.
“I was diagnosed last year with a rare form of epilepsy that’s located in the frontal left lobe of my brain,” he said.
The seizures began in 2023 and quickly became all-consuming.
“After the first one, they started coming very fast, very frequent. I was having anywhere from three to nine seizures a day,” Braniff said.
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.
“It’ll save my life… it’ll change everything. Over the last six months, the last year, my doctors have sent letters to the neurosurgeon and haven’t heard a thing,” he said.
With no response, Braniff fears time may not be on his side.
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“Maybe I’ll hear from the neurosurgeon tomorrow and he’ll 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,” he said.
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.
“I hear every day from people who are struggling to get communication from the health care system,” said Kelowna-Mission Conservative MLA Gavin Dew.
“There are too many patients who are stuck in limbo, who are suffering, who are in pain, and can’t get clear answers.”
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.
“Interior Health continues to strengthen neurology services at Kelowna General Hospital through recruitment and service improvements,” said IH.
“Two neurologists who joined the team in 2025 have recently been licensed and credentialled, helping fill on-call shifts.”
Medication has helped dull Braniff’s 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.
“It’s hard being broken. It’s hard not being able to provide for my family the way I used to,” he said.
Braniff is now trying to raise money to find health care elsewhere.
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