Former anti-vaxxer pleads with Quebecers to get vaccinated after almost losing daughter to virus

MONTREAL —
A former anti-vaxxer in Quebec is pleading with others to get vaccinated after she almost misplaced her daughter to the virus. 

Sophie Leger lives together with her household of eight in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que. Her 21-year-old daughter, Melodie, was once towards the vaccine, earlier than she caught COVID-19 final month.

Leger remembers the early signs.

“Her again damage … her head damage … she couldn’t transfer,” she mentioned.

Melodie’s situation acquired worse. She ended up on the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal by late September, the place she fell right into a coma.

“The analysis was easy,” mentioned her mom. “Melodie should have died.”

Docs did not assume she’d make it. Melodie was intubated, respiratory with the assistance of a respirator. Leger says her coronary heart really stopped thrice.

“We’re speaking about three weeks,” mentioned Leger. “Three weeks of paralysis … three weeks of intubation [and] robust medication.”

For these three weeks, Melodie remained in a coma, till she recovered — one thing leger described as nothing in need of a miracle.

MELODIE’S RETURN

Melodie lastly returned house Sunday whereas her mom was nonetheless in dialog with CTV Information.

“Oh mon dieux!” exclaimed Leger, as she heard her daughter enter the condominium. 

• Watch CTV’s Billy Shields’ report above to see Leger’s response the second her daughter returned from the hospital

Upon her return, Melodie mentioned her time in hospital had modified “every part.”

“My entire life and perspective modified utterly,” she mentioned, including that she plans on getting the vaccine as quickly as she will be able to.

Her mom says misinformation on-line contributed to her hesitancy to get the shot earlier than getting sick.

She known as that misinformation “harmful for mankind.”

“Now I’ve an enormous mission,” she mentioned. “To make folks conscious of the significance of the vaccine.”

A majority of latest COVID-19 circumstances reported in Quebec have been discovered amongst those that had gotten their first dose of a vaccine lower than two weeks prior, or by no means acquired a shot in any respect.

On Sunday, 341 of the 532 circumstances have been discovered amongst that group. Public well being says unvaccinated individuals are 22.8 per cent extra prone to be hospitalized after catching COVID-19.