Immunocompromised Caledonia man moving to Nova Scotia to avoid potential second wave risk

Daryl Baxter is leaving his family.

He doesn't want to go. His wife, Jennifer, doesn't want him to. Neither do their girls, Autumn and Raya, 15 and 11 respectively.

But it's still the best decision for the Caledonia family.

Daryl is immunocompromised.

He has several health conditions.

I have idiopathic cardiomyopathy. That's the biggest one; the one we worry about the most," Daryl said. You do die from it. It's a slow death."

Around the middle of the summer, the family had a big scare.

I thought I had an infection in my heart," Daryl said. His blood work has since come back clear, but that doesn't change the other piece of the puzzle.

Since COVID, we've been trapped here," he said. Since the start of the pandemic, they've rarely left their Stoney Creek Road property.

Now, though, school is starting back up again.

Jennifer works as a teaching consultant in Hamilton.

I usually travel between four and five schools within the board," she said. And so far, We don't know what my job will look like in the fall."

Daryl's physical health, as well as his mental health, make him unable to work; Jennifer is the family's sole breadwinner.

I can't not work," she said.

Daryl said both of their daughters have been struggling without social interaction with their friends during the pandemic.

Autumn would prefer to be at school," he said. Raya has some learning disabilities; she would benefit from being in school."

That's why they and Jennifer will be returning to their respective schools this fall, and Daryl will be heading to Nova Scotia.

The couple bought a piece of property there several years ago.

Our plan was to eventually retire out there," Jennifer said.

Daryl will be living in a trailer, where he can self-isolate. They have family out there who will help him with getting supplies.

He doesn't want to be apart from his family, but I could never afford rent here," Daryl said.

A second wave is coming. We have to see what that looks like."

Jennifer said it's a hard decision for them.

He'll be further away from us, but we will have more freedom. We won't have to worry as much about contracting the virus," she said.

Daryl said he didn't want to burden his wife or girls with worry that they would be putting his life at risk simply by going to school, or worse, if he were to get coronavirus, to blame themselves for bringing it home.

They need a life," Daryl said.

I'm taking my heart out of it. I'm using this," he said, pointing to his head.