Paralympic Gold Medalist Danielle Campo McLeod Shares Harrowing Health Scare

Photo Courtesy: Ryan Casey

Paralympic Gold Medalist Danielle Campo McLeod Shares Harrowing Health Scare

Canadian Paralympic gold medalist Danielle Campo McLeod shared details of a harrowing health journey that has kept her in the hospital for the last six weeks since giving birth.

Campo McLeod gave birth to a daughter, Morgan, by caesarian section on Aug. 17 in Windsor, Canada. Though Morgan was healthy, Danielle developed a rash of complications. She required surgery for a bowel obstruction, then developed pneumonia and went into septic shock. He was airlifted to a hospital in London and was in critical condition for weeks.

“It was really touch and go … but I fought really hard to stay here,” Campo McLeod told the CBC Thursday. “I just knew I have more work to do, and more to give back to our community.”

Campo McLeod, 36, competed for Canada at the 2000 and 2004 Paralympics. She won three gold medals in S7 competition in Sydney to go with a silver, then added a relay silver medal in Athens to go with a pair of individual bronze medals. She also won two gold medals and a silver at the IPC World Championships.

Campo McLeod was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at age 2. Last year, she was diagnosed with congenital myasthenic syndrome.

Despite the nervy moments, Campo McLeod is recovering from the four surgeries while she was hospitalized. She has a long process of physiotherapy ahead, but her prognosis is much better than it has been. She has set a goal of walking by Christmas, and she’s hoping to make up for lost time with Morgan and the moments she missed during her convalescence.

“I know it’s going to be a lot of work but this is my new Olympics, this is my new gold medal and world record is to get that body where it was,” she said.

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