Slow progress in recovering new mom Danielle Campo

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Progress and ongoing health challenges still go hand in hand for Danielle Campo McLeod as she recovers from a life-threatening infection.

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Campo McLeod is unplugged from a ventilator and breathing on her own, but on Thursday he saw her endure a setback that sent her back to the ICU at University Hospital London.

The new mom and decorated Paralympian had been transferred from the ICU to a medical surgery floor on Monday.

“We had a little step back today,” said Denny McLeod, her husband. “He has developed a mucus problem and cannot cough enough to clear it. It’s not a big step back, but it is something to watch out for. “

Field McLeod has been in the fight and for her life since she gave birth to her third child, daughter Morgan, by cesarean section on August 17 in Windsor. She developed a bowel obstruction, infection and pneumonia after giving birth and spent 21 days in a Windsor hospital.

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Older brothers Corbin, five, and Samson, two, were able to spend a night with their parents and new sister before Campo McLeod was rushed to the hospital with sepsis.

On September 12, she was transferred to University Hospital, where Denny and Campo’s mother, Colleen, alternated a bedside vigil.

“It’s been an emotional roller coaster in any way you look at it,” McLeod said. “But getting her off the fan, now it’s a completely different ball game than where we were last week. It was so nice hearing his voice. “

Doctors removed the ventilator last Saturday and since then she has been able to briefly sit next to the bed and in a chair.

“When I arrived yesterday, she was sitting on the couch and tolerated it for about 20 minutes,” McLeod said.

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Campo McLeod is very weak and still fighting a no-source infection. Your recovery will be measured in months, not weeks.

“It goes in waves,” McLeod said of his own mood. “I’m strong when I need to be, which is most of the time and then there are times when I feel like I’m ready to break.”

Family members are caring for the three youngest children along with McLeod’s two teenage sons.

He came home last Friday only to interrupt the visit with news that doctors were removing the vent.

“I could go home and spend two nights there this weekend,” he said.

As for her two youngest children, “they are doing surprisingly well. I think all that time from birth when we were trapped in the hospital, I think that was driving them away from us oddly enough. We video chat with them and they are holding up well. “

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If doctors can locate the source of the infection, Campo McLeod could return to Windsor next week to continue his recovery.

“They have looked at his whole body,” McLeod said. “I told him today, this is the last big hurdle and then we are on our way.”

Neither Danielle nor Denny can believe the tremendous support from the Windsor community and beyond. A GoFundMe campaign to help with future expenses has now exceeded $ 84,000.

“It hasn’t fully absorbed how many people are thinking of us,” McLeod said. “I get a lot of messages, thoughts, prayers, energy. It certainly lifts you up because it’s easy to fall into the garbage cans. “

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