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SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah father of five who suffered a serious medical condition while on a business trip to Ecuador has died, his family said Sunday.
James Campbell, 42, of Wellington, Carbon County, died at a hospital early Sunday morning, said Randy Dieterle, Campbell’s father-in-law. The family also announced the death in a statement.
“We are so grateful for everyone’s messages and donations and we were so ready to fly him back. But my dad passed away early this morning. Thank you to everyone who supported us and will continue to support us through this difficult time,” Emma Campbell, the daughter of James Campbell, wrote in the statement.
James Campbell was a chief technology officer for a Provo company and in the country during a tour meeting with contacts in South and Central America. He was getting ready to travel to the Philippines earlier this month when he suffered an aortic dissection, which occurs when there is a tear in the large blood vessel that branches off the heart, Dieterle said on Saturday.
"He was heading back from dinner and his legs gave out from under him. He just couldn't walk. And he eventually was able to make it into a hospital after being out in front of the hospital for some time without getting help. But he got into the hospital," Dieterle said.
The family was told last weekend he likely wouldn't survive that night, but then he showed signs of improvement. A team of five doctors provided "exceptional" care during the past week, according to Dieterle. He said doctors couldn't repair the Campbell's aorta and that they were holding out hope knowing his aorta could give out at any moment until it could be repaired.
Campbell’s family started a GoFundMe page* on Wednesday trying to raise money to bring him back to the U.S. for treatment.
However, his aorta gave out about 2:30 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time Sunday before he could be transported.
The family was working to now bring his body back to Utah. Campbell's wife had already flown to Ecuador and Dieterle said he planned to fly to the country to meet up there. He said all the money raised — nearly $25,000 by noon Sunday — to this point will now be used to cover the cost of bringing Campbell's body home and funeral expenses.
This story will be updated as soon as more information is made available.
Contributing: Dan Bammes, KSL Newsradio; Alex Cabrero, KSL TV
*KSL.com does not assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
