HAMPTON, Va. — October 28th is 27-year-old Deion Campbell's birthday and he is happy to be alive.
He couldn't think of a better day to release his new book, Ventilator: A Covid-19 Survivor Story. The Hampton photographer was one of the first people in Hampton Roads to contract the virus back in March and it was a battle he almost did not survive.
"I had to release it on my birthday, I almost missed it, but I'm still here," Campbell remarked.
Campbell said the book's purpose is to simply encourage people to take the virus seriously. Hearing people call it a hoax is hard to listen to after the disease almost took his life.
"If you could just shake sense into people, I would if it would help save a life."
The book chronicles his harrowing journey with COVID-19, from his struggles to get the proper diagnosis when his fever was stretching to more than 100 degrees. He writes about his attempt to get tested for the virus:
I remember driving up and waiting in this long line, just to be denied a test. One of the nurses issuing the test told me that because I was young that even if I had the virus, it would just go away, and that they had to preserve the test for people who truly needed them.
Campbell spent 40 days in the hospital and 12 days on a ventilator, then weeks of rehab.
He writes about the long road to recovery that he is still traveling. Along the way there have been lingering health side effects and depression. Nerve damage in his arm has kept him from being able to resume his long time hobby and profession of photography. He is enjoying his new podcast, King Legend Talks on Spotify.
Early interest in the book has been rewarding. Listed on Amazon, it sells for seven dollars for a paperback or $2.85 for a Kindle version. Campbell hopes the book can help save lives.
"I had to write the book to share my experience, to raise awareness. To be honest, with me having a second chance at life, I think it's so important to use it for good."