Sick death row inmate will be given special pillow to help him breathe during execution

A sick death row inmate set to die by lethal injection this week will be given a special wedge-shaped pillow to help him breathe as he is executed.

WCPO reports that death row prisoner Alva Campbell, 69, will be executed at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, Ohio, on Wednesday for the 1997 murder of a Columbus teen.


According to the Associated Press, Campbell suffers from severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder as the result of a decades-long two-pack-a-day smoking habit, which makes it extremely difficult for him to breathe while lying down.

His attorneys said he uses a walker, relies on a colostomy bag, requires four breathing treatments a day and may have lung cancer.

Additionally, medical professionals had a hard time finding suitable veins in Campbell's arms during an earlier medical exam, which might make it difficult to administer the lethal drugs and cause him excessive pain.

To help mitigate some of these issues, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction plans to use a wedge-shaped pillow to help Campbell breathe during his execution.