A Tecumseh native and former paralympian swimmer is finally back home after almost losing her fight for life.
Danielle Campo-McLeod arrived back in Windsor Tuesday afternoon and told AM800's The Shift with Patty Handysides that she's feeling the best she's felt in a very long time, but has few memories of the ordeal.
Campo McLeod is out of a London hospital after suffering medical complications following the birth of her third child.
She underwent a C-section at Windsor Regional Hospital on Aug. 17, but there were complications following the delivery, and the 36-year-old suffered a bowel obstruction that required three surgeries.
She was then taken to London on Sept. 12 for another surgery after developing an infection, ending up on life-support in critical condition.
Campo-McLeod is now undergoing rehab at the Tayfour Campus of Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare on Prince Road.
She says she's been slowly regaining her strength since coming off life support.
"It felt like I had swam the longest race of my life and constantly out of breath," she continued. "Just kind of everyday progressing to just moving my fingers, to moving my arms and get my body moving, and work on these lungs."
Campo-McLeod says she had a horrible level of infection inside her body but a recent CAT scan revealed it's completely gone...
The doctor said it was better than best case scenario, that this is not what he expected but that the infection has gone. It was working with a number of different disciplines, even from my dietician saying we have to up the protein because that's going to fight the infection," she said.
Campo-McLeod says she's at the Tayfour Campus for rehab and is excited to get her strength back.
"I mean everyday is a battle now, this body that ran around and did everything, it's taking all the effort I can to take a couple of steps. I'm calling it my new Olympics and giving myself the grace that it's going to take time."
A GoFundMe page established to help the family with expenses has already raised nearly $89,000.
Campo McLeod was born with muscular dystrophy and went on to complete in a number of international swimming events including the Paralympic Games — she's also a member of the Windsor-Essex County Sports Hall of Fame.