THANKS TO EVERYONE

I would like to say thank you to everyone who attended, donated, or organized the benefit on Sunday June 28th at the Blue Ridge Club. We had a great day in more ways than one. The weather could not have been better. The food was great and the bands where awesome and the whole thing ran so smooth you would have thought it was put on by professionals. The truth is the whole thing was organized by the GREATEST people in the world. I was over whelmed by the number of friends that turned out . I am truly blessed to have such wonderful people in my families life.
As many of you know on our first trip to Barnes in St. Louis we had been told that we would need a minimum of twenty five thousand dollars after the transplant to relocate and live with in a few minutes of the hospital for at least three months. And that figure did not include any co-pays or meds not covered by insurance. That is what sparked the idea of some great friends of ours to hold a fundraiser.
And I am thrilled to announce that the goal was not only met but surpassed! This is huge load off of Marleen and myself.
And remember it is not if I get better it is WHEN we will celebrate again.
Next time its on me!

AGAIN THANK YOU TO ALL
RANDY COOKE

UPDATE

Hello everyone. Just thought I would drop a line to let everyone know what the latest is on my condition. I recently went to Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis on May 26 to see Dr. Yusen and to be reevaluated. Dr. Yusen was very encouraged with my weight loss, but would like to see me continue to lose another 20 pounds. They were happy to see that my CT scans and x-rays had no change from three months ago, but cautioned us that they would not be curing me, that the only "cure" was a transplant, and that my condition is progessive. He reminded me that everything I am doing at this time is to get me in to "fighting shape" for the transplant. It is very helpful for me to think of this time as the "battle" to get in shape for the rest of my life. Unfortunately my liver did not like the medicine I had been on up to May, so I am now on another medicine plus prednisone. These medications are the meds I will be on for the rest of my life after transplant, so it is good to see how my body will handle each of them now, before I am dealing with the transplant. All of the meds can have serious side effects, so it is better for me to try them now. He encouraged me to continue to do what I am doing, and that he wanted to see us back at the end of July, first of August. Again thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers, and all that you have done for us to help us in this battle. We love you all. Hope to see you in June at the Blue Ridge.

Randy Cooke

This is a letter no-one ever envisions creating. Randy Cooke is 46 years young, has been married to Marleen for 24 years, and is the father of two wonderful children, Brandi and Ryan. Randy is a lifelong resident of Chatham, Illinois, has worked for Dominion Resources for 19 years, is an avid hunter, fisherman and boater and is fortunate to have many wonderful friends with which to enjoy these hobbies. Randy has many ties to the community, as he is a member of IBEW Local 15, President of Sangchris Waterfowlers Association, member of the Elks Lodge 158, the Blue Ridge Club, TRN Club, Sugar Creek United Methodist Church and a former member of the Chatham Volunteer Fire Department. Having raised his family, Randy was looking forward to the next phase of his life, traveling with friends and family, hunting and fishing, boating on Lake Springfield, saving for retirement, having time to just enjoy the “good life”. But, life has a way of throwing you a curve ball when you least expect it. Randy needs a lung transplant. On December 24, 2008, Randy was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF). PF is a debilitating, ultimately fatal disease marked by progressive scarring of the lungs, which gradually interferes with a person’s ability to breathe. The lung scarring that occurs in PF can’t be reversed, and no current treatment has proved effective in halting the progression of the disease or improving the quality of life, with an average duration from diagnosis to death of 2 to 4 years. For the PF patient, managing symptoms of respiratory distress can make even the simplest activities of daily living a challenge. Not only does it gradually rob you of your ability to breathe, but also low oxygen levels in your bloodstream leave you feeling weak, tired and uncomfortable, and compromises your quality of life. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that this disease has attacked the Cooke family. Randy’s mother, Carol, lost her long battle with PF in February 2007.

For Randy, a lung transplant is the only option to improve the quality and quantity of his life. In February 2009, Randy was evaluated at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri and was deemed an excellent candidate for lung transplantation. Currently, Randy is no longer able to work and is on oxygen 24/7. While waiting for a donor, Randy continues his daily medication regimen, pulmonary rehabilitation and oxygen therapy. Because of the extraordinary expense of transplantation, funding this life-saving operation is a monumental task. Even with medical insurance, there are numerous uncovered expenses such as healthcare deductibles, co-payments, immunosuppressant medication, travel and relocation housing. After transplantation, it will be necessary for Randy and Marleen to live in St. Louis for a minimum of three months while he is healing. Randy will then need to be on anti-rejection medication his entire life, and will require constant supervision by the transplant team. Barnes-Jewish hospital has advised that the out-of-pocket expenses related to relocation for transplant patients is $25,000.00. This presents a challenge that the Cooke family cannot meet alone. Fundraising is thus essential to the overall success of Randy’s struggle. This is where your help is needed.

To help offset Randy’s financial needs, friends and family have set up a fund at United Community Bank (217/483-2491). Donations can be made at any branch of United Community Bank to the “Randy Cooke Benefit Fund” or by contacting Kelly Beck at (217/741-8629). A benefit is planned for Sunday, June 28, 2009 at the Blue Ridge Club, Springfield, Illinois. For silent auction donations or raffle donations, please contact Tara Dillon (217/836-5617). It is never easy to ask for help and now is certainly no exception. Randy has touched the lives of many and we deeply appreciate the support he has received. At times like this, the assistance of family, friends and the community is crucial to help ensure a positive outcome. On behalf of the Cooke family, thank you for your prayers, generosity and support.

Friends of Randy Cooke

Good Luck

Randy, you have given so much to us all, its now our turn to give back. Good luck and I know you will kick this and be back on your feet very soon. Jeannie and Jim

Please write you comments

We are so thankful for so many family and friends that will be with us during this trying time in our life. We will keep everyone up to date on our progress as we go through this tragedy. We thank you all for the time you will take to add your comments. May God Bless You All.