Well-known teacher recovering from serious COVID threat

By Mark Ribble

LEAMINGTON — If you attended Leamington District Secondary School or UMEI from 1980 through 2010, you likely know Victor Winter.

Mr. Winter, a beloved teacher, principal and pastor in this community, was recently released from Windsor Regional Hospital after a near-fatal battle with COVID-19.

Victor was also the pastor at Leamington United Mennonite Church for eight years until 2018. His popularity in all three of those communities brought an outpouring of concern for the likeable leader. The 66-year-old is an otherwise healthy specimen, by his own admission.

Problems began on Friday, March 13 when he awoke feeling under the weather. “It was very flu-like,” he said.

His wife Marilyn started with the same symptoms, so they both assumed they had the flu. “No cough or fever,” said Marilyn.

After a couple days, Marilyn’s symptoms went away, while Victor’s got worse. “The worst thing for me was violent shaking and chills,” he said.

On Sunday the 15th, they went to London to visit friends and had to turn around and head home because Victor could not stop shaking.

After spending a few days at home with no improvement, Friday March 20 brought other issues for Victor, who started to lose his balance. When he couldn’t get around without falling, Marilyn called an ambulance.

Victor Winter at his home in Leamington after release from the hospital.

Victor has no recollection of that day or the weeks that followed. “She tells me I walked into the ambulance and I was chatting up the paramedics,” he said.

“They asked him if he was short of breath and he said no,” Marilyn said.

However, when his oxygen levels were measured in the ambulance, they were so low they didn’t even register. The same happened once he got to Erie Shores HealthCare.

“X-rays showed double pneumonia,” Marilyn said.

Suddenly, what they thought was the common flu, became something far more concerning.

On Saturday, March 21, Victor was intubated and sent by ambulance to Met Campus at Windsor Regional Hospital, where he would stay for about the next six weeks.

From that point on, Marilyn’s only communication with him was through iPads and Facetime.

“One day, you’re a little sick and then you’re out of it,” said Victor.

In the ICU at Met, Victor’s condition worsened to the point where his heart was ‘pausing’ occasionally and things were looking grim.

The Winter’s adult children all left their families to head home to support their mother as their dad fought the battle to survive.

Marilyn kept the faith and hoped for the best, although it was difficult watching from afar. “He was still shaking so violently,” she said.

The doctors there decided to try another method of treatment called ‘paralytic medicine’, which basically paralyzes the patient so the ventilator can do its work. This also allows the body to fight the infection.

“They called it supportive medicine,” said Marilyn. “He was being kept alive so that his body could fight.”

And fight, it did.

Victor improved greatly over the next couple of weeks, going from near death’s door March 27 to off the ventilator on Good Friday, April 10.

The Winters are people of faith and they have a great many people of faith in their church community, many of whom sent prayers and positive thoughts their way.

“The Leamington United Mennonite Church held a parking lot prayer service while I was down and out,” said Victor.

After some ups and downs, Victor was in and out of ICU for the next 10 days or so.

“When I awoke from all of this, I couldn’t move,” he said. “I was flat on my back and the nurses had to come in and roll me over.”

Victor took the time to praise the work of doctors and staff at Met Campus, crediting them with saving his life. “They are a very dedicated group,” he said.

By Wednesday, April 22, Victor was able to take some steps with a walker, and being fully aware, he couldn’t believe what he missed while he was out.

“I had heard vaguely about the virus before, but was amazed when I awoke and heard all these new phrases,” he said. “Physical distancing? What is that?”

After a week of doing extensive rehab and retraining his muscles to walk again, he got the word that they were sending him home.

“They were so excited to discharge me,” he said.

He was a success story and those had been scarce up until that point.

Marilyn and the rest of the family waited downstairs as staff prepared him for discharge and as they wheeled him through the lobby, he was met with cheers and signs from the staff at the hospital.

“It was quite a send-off,” he said.

He did notice a lot of things were closed. “I came home to a different looking world,” he said.

Once home, the Winters have settled in nicely, with Victor dealing with daily physiotherapy to get this strength back. “It may be a couple of months,” said Marilyn. “It’s a slow process.”

After being home, Victor was surprised by a vehicle parade from their church community, who drove by honking their horns with signs and balloons hanging from the cars. He was on the porch and able to wave at them all.

“It was very touching,” he said. “I counted 130 cars.”

As for the future, the Winters are taking it one day at a time and keeping their distance from people until Victor gets a clean bill of health.

He’s been tested twice since and happily exclaims, “I’m a double negative!”

His status is officially what they call "Covid-Resolve" and considering where he was three weeks ago, Victor Winter will take that.