Forty days. That’s how long Deion Campbell fought against the deadly virus called COVID-19. After getting diagnosed with the disease, he spent the journey holding for his dear life on a ventilator and doing rehab for complete recovery. He never thought to see the day again, but now he is standing tall and healthy to share his story of survival, resilience, and hope.
Famously known as the King Legend, Deion got his life all figured out. He was working on a job he passionately loved, as a professional photographer. For him, the best thing the photography job gave him was capturing the priceless moments of his clients. Unfortunately, COVID-19 struck the city, and lockdowns and quarantines took effect afterward. As much as Deion wanted to pursue his photography passion, it forced him to put his dreams on hold for a moment. As if that were not enough, he contracted the deadly virus.
It was only the beginning of Deion’s battle against the illness. He suffered an eight-day fever before finally being admitted to the hospital. The medical staff had to put him on a ventilator for almost two weeks since his body reacted so severely to the virus that he could not breathe properly.
He experienced complications while on the ventilator, and the first attempt to take him off the ventilator was unsuccessful. The doctors, under intensive care, were eventually able to get him back to a stable condition and successfully took him off the ventilator. Even though Deion had a close call to death, his will to survive seemed to be stronger than anyone could have ever thought.
Now discharged from the hospital, Deion is recovering well. He learned from this experience that “life is too short. You only got one shot to make the very best of it.” In the face of adversity, Deion treated this incident as a boon rather than a bane. It might have left him unable to pick up the camera again because of the nerve damage on his right arm, but Deion chose to see this as a golden opportunity.
What happened to him was life-transforming as it was more than just a physical ailment. Transforming this personal tragedy into a story of awareness, Deion decided to take a leap of faith and started to write his book called Ventilator. In this book, he narrated his struggles as a COVID-19 patient and how he made it through. He also shares how to be resilient, especially in these indescribably trying times. He further stresses, “I would want them to be inspired by my survival story and want to take the steps necessary to be as safe as possible during this global pandemic.” The book is set to be released on the day of his birthday, October 28, 2020.
He also owns King Legend Talks Podcast. Using this platform to influence, he continues to inspire and motivate people in the hopes of making their dream a reality. His main mantra has always been consistent. “Leading by example has always been my thing.” With his platform, he hopes to leave a legacy for the next generation to follow.
To learn more about Deion Campbell’s story, make sure to visit him on Instagram.
