Ryan Campbell discharged from hospital after making full recovery
Campbell's heart surgeon expects him to join the Netherlands team in his capacity as head coach in a few weeks' time
ESPNcricinfo staff
09-May-2022
Ryan Campbell has been the head coach of the Netherlands men's team since 2017 • Sportsfile via Getty Images
Ryan Campbell, the former Australia wicketkeeper-batter and current Netherlands men's head coach, has been discharged from hospital after follow-up tests showed no damage to his heart.
Campbell, 50, had suffered a series of cardiac arrests on April 16 in Stoke-on-Trent and was taken into intensive care in an induced coma. While the doctors at the Royal Stoke University Hospital excluded the possibility of a heart attack as the cause, they haven't ruled out delayed response to an infection as the possible reason for the cardiac arrests. Campbell was infected with Covid-19 in February 2022 and also suffered from a lower respiratory tract infection in November 2021.
But Campbell's heart surgeon expected him to make a full recovery in a few weeks' time and resume his duties with the Netherlands team.
"I want to take this opportunity to thank the amazing doctors and nurses at the Royal Stoke Hospital critical care unit for their incredible professionalism, kindness and compassion," Campbell said in a statement released by the Australian Cricketers' Association. "I also want to thank Beci Bassett, a parent at the adventure playground in Cheshire who immediately administered CPR. Her courage and quick intervention quite simply saved my life.
"My wife Leontina was at my bedside hour after hour and kept our families informed of my progress. She dealt bravely with every development thrown her way. LT, I thank you and love you. LT was joined early on by my great mate Simon Millington, who flew out from Nevada to be there for her and her family and assisted them throughout the ordeal. For this, I will be eternally grateful.
"Finally, I want to say a big thank you to all my well-wishers from around the world. The amount of messages of love and support my family and I received was extremely humbling."
He was at a playground with his children when he collapsed. He was immediately taken to the hospital and kept under heavy sedation.
Campbell played two ODIs for Australia and was part of the Hong Kong side at the 2016 T20 World Cup, where he played two T20Is at the age of 44. He has been the head coach of Netherlands since 2017.