Who is Travis Campbell? Unvaccinated dad of 6 kids battles severe Covid, urges all to get jab
A father of six from Virginia has unwittingly emerged as the new poster boy for vaccination after his videos from the hospital Covid ward went viral. Travis Campbell, 43, was diagnosed recently with Covid-19 and has been suffering serious complications from the more dangerous Delta variant of the disease. Campbell and his wife were unvaccinated and he had to be hospitalized after both of them contracted Covid. While his wife has since recovered, Travis Campbell continues to battle for his life, needing oxygen regularly.
Campbell has now started filming videos from his hospital bed, urging everyone to get vaccinated at the earliest. He shares regular updates about his health with his followers, telling everyone that vaccination can help them avert the same fate as him. He is currently undergoing treatment at the Bristol Regional Medical Center Hospital in Tennessee. "If I have a day or two left, I don't want to waste my time. I want to help as many people as I can, to let them see the real truth, that [the Indian 'Delta' variant] is real, and it's only getting stronger and faster," he stated.
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Who is Travis Campbell?
Travis Campbell and his wife of 23 years, Kellie Campbell, are residents of Bristol, Virginia, where they live with their six children. The couple and two of their kids were diagnosed with Covid-19 on July 22, and Travis' condition continued to worsen over the weeks. While his family recovered, Travis needed to be hospitalized. He was transferred to the Covid ICU soon after, followed by the pulmonary ICU meant for the most critical cases. At present, his wife fears if he needs to be placed on ventilation to assist his breathing.
Though Travis and Kellie Campbell are not anti-vaxxers, they admitted postponing the vaccination dates as they underplayed its necessity. “We just thought we were invincible and we weren't going to get it. And we’ve just been so busy, and we just moved, and we prolonged getting the vaccine," his wife Kellie Campbell shared.
Despite his present condition, Travis Campbell regularly makes videos and shares Facebook posts to raise awareness about vaccination among his friends and acquaintances. In a Facebook post on July 25, he wrote, "I have never been this sick in my life!! My whole family has covid, i truly regret not getting the vaccine. Im testifying to all my bulletproof friends thats holding out, it's time to protect your family, its not worth getting long term lung damage or death please go get the vaccine. The 2nd wave is coming and is going to be stronger than the first. When i hear my kids with the rattle lung cough, when they say they are so dizzy they are getting sick, or they or I are dehydrated from the diarrhea, i realize I could have prevented this. Im over the stupid conspiracies, its time to be rational and protective. Its not worth being stubborn like i did. PM me if you have any questions i will help you and your family in anyway."
Since then, he has been posting regular videos despite his condition progressively worsening with time. On July 30, he wrote another Facebook post saying, "Just wanted to give you a update, kellie says no more videos cause i look to bad lol. They have me on oxygen and I'm starting to get a little strength and appetite. Breathing is more difficult but i'm still hanging on. Fever is still here and I'm still dehydrated but hoping to start improving soon, they finally got the IV in so I'm hoping to get more fluids quicker. Thank you and love yall."
On August 2, he shared, "I was moved in the middle of the night to a intensive care unit. My breathing and oxygen are not improving, next step is a ventilation machine. All of this could have been prevented by a vaccine. When its all etched in stone you cant go back and get 2nd chances. We must live with the outcome, if ur not vaccinated then for the love of god please go! Ty for the prayers, kellie and all the kids are still fighting it at home."
His posts and videos have been widely circulated and motivated many to get vaccinated. A pharmacist reached out to Kellie Campbell informing her that the vaccination rates at their center have gone up significantly ever since Travis started posting his videos.
In his last status update on August 5, Travis shared, "If you went and got vaccinated since participating in my videos, would you mind to post a picture on this post for my family please. I am so thankful to see so many people believe in theirs elves and get protected. It makes me feel a sense of purpose that my friends and loved ones will live on! I love each and everyone of yall." In another post, he said, "I made it thru another long night. Thank you lord!"
He is presently battling for life in the Intensive Care Unit as his followers continue to send him their prayers while taking up the responsibility of advocating for vaccination among all.