A Husband Puts His Life on Pause to Care for His Wife Proving Love Never Gives Up

Being a caregiver is an incredibly tough role that demands immense strength and resilience. The weight of numerous responsibilities can exact a toll on one’s mental, physical, and emotional well-being, particularly when witnessing a loved one’s struggles. Matthew Cauli has experienced the realities of full-time caregiving firsthand, as he became a caregiver for his wife.

Their fairy tale ended one day.

Matthew and his wife, Kanlaya, met in New York City in 2009 and were married a year later. Seven years into a happily ever-after, they got a son. However, this ever-after came to an end quite unexpectedly.

In early 2020, Kanlaya suffered a massive stroke right in front of her husband and son. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed surgery to unclog a mass that they thought had caused the stroke. The surgery was successful, but two days later, Kanlaya had another stroke on the right side of her brain. This caused paralysis on the left side of her body.

Matthew stood by his wife’s side.

The doctors were puzzled by Kanlaya’s strokes. They were unsure why a healthy 37-year-old woman would have two strokes in such a short period of time. However, they eventually found the cause: a 10-centimeter mass in Kanlaya’s abdomen, which was caused by ovarian cancer. Kanlaya underwent a full hysterectomy and then began chemotherapy and rehabilitation.

Her husband, Matthew, became her caregiver. “I was by her side through all of this and learned as much as I could from the hospitals and rehab. She was using a wheelchair permanently, unable to move around. She was in bad shape,” says Cauli.

His main focus is always his wife.

Cauli’s day starts early. He gets his son ready for school, then heads home to help Kanlaya get ready for the day. He cooks, administers medication, and helps her with exercises. He also helps her with personal hygiene, schedules doctor’s appointments, and does chores around the house.

In the beginning, Cauli worked from home while caring for Kanlaya, but he eventually had to quit his job. He still tries to find time to answer emails and post on social media, but his main focus is on Kanlaya’s recovery.

The couple shares their everyday routine online.

Matthew decided to create a TikTok account to share their experiences with wider audience to communicate with other people in the similar condition and suggest and find the help.

“I didn’t care about who saw it or if I got negative feedback. It just felt good expressing myself through social media. TikTok allowed me to share my story learn about other people’s stories and know that I’m not alone,” Cauli explains.

Matthew’s decision to put his life on pause for his wife can genuinely be called heroic. If you want to read stories of celebrities prioritizing their beloved ones over everything else, check out our article about the love story of Bruce Willis and his wife.