Sue Brissett, Mervia Scott, Amandeep Gidda-Atwal, Sydney Belcher and Anneka Rainford

Mathilde and Günter Struck had always been an active couple, travelling the world through their jobs with Air Canada and, later, enjoying retirement at their tree farm in Mono. But in his early 80s, Günter began to experience health issues that left them both struggling.

Then, in December 2024, he was hospitalized with Covid. The illness exacerbated his underlying health conditions and left him extremely weak. Suddenly, tending to Günter’s complex needs became even more challenging for Mathilde. She wanted to avoid placing him in a hospice, but she knew she needed help. “He was my lifelong partner, the love of my life,” she says. “We were together for 50 years, and I always said to him, ‘I will look after you, no matter what.’”

She also knew that keeping her word might be tough. “When you go into a situation like that, you’re overwhelmed. And you really need help,” she says. “You can’t do it alone.”

Fortunately, the couple’s doctor connected Mathilde with the help she needed: a dedicated team of palliative care nurses. Provided by Bayshore Home Care Solutions, a company contracted by the province to offer government-funded health services, team members looked after Günter’s medical needs, such as administering medications, controlling his pain and checking for bedsores.

Perhaps as important for Mathilde, however, was the team’s emotional support. Their readiness to answer her questions and let her know what to expect was both reassuring and comforting.

Managed by Elba Andrade, the team comprised Sue Brissett, Günter’s primary caregiver, as well as Anneka Rainford, Sydney Belcher, Amandeep Gidda-Atwal and Mervia Scott. All five live in and around Dufferin, and one of them is on call for their patients 24/7. With more than 32 years’ experience in palliative care among them, all five spoke of how deeply moving it is to be present at the end of someone’s life.

The nurses build relationships not only with their patients, but also with the family during what is, for many people, the most difficult time of their life, says Rainford. “In a way, it’s like being in a temporary extended family,” she adds. “When it’s near the end, we see the patient every day. So when they pass away, you feel like you’ve lost them too.”

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Andrade agrees, saying, “When someone dies, we all know the family goes through grief, but people don’t realize that the nurses do too.”

Günter died in his sleep, at home, on January 28 this year. Brissett was there to tell Mathilde the sad news.

Mathilde misses him dearly, but she is thankful that he was able to stay at home. Her circle of close friends helped with this by stepping up and providing her with much-needed respite opportunities.

“That’s what gives me peace now: that I had the privilege of looking after Günter at home,” she says. And this is what moved her to nominate his nursing team for recognition as Local Heroes. “There is absolutely no way I could have done palliative care at home for him without them,” she says. “They truly are heroes.”