![]() When he was finally able to find his voice, Cookie expressed sincere gratitude for his transfer to Walter Reed. As a result, and completely out of character for him, Cookie was left speechless by all of the attention. Grateful for the opportunity, the Cookson family accepted and left the same day for Washington, D.C.Īccording to Cookson, his father, Cookie, was seen by more physicians and nurses at Walter Reed in the first 60 minutes of his stay than during the entire 30 days he spent in the New York hospital. (“Walter Reed”) for screening and treatment. To his pleasant surprise, BUMED staff called him later that morning and offered to move his father, a retiree of the United States Air Force, to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, D.C. With all necessary approvals and travel plans in place, Cookson left Naples, and arrived safely in New York early on Monday morning. Maida’s help, I was finally able to put Cookson in touch with the Living Donor Transplant Coordinator at BUMED, who screened and approved his request right over the phone. ![]() Phone calls and emails went flying all afternoon between me, the local hospital staff and BUMED staff judge advocate, Cmdr. It was a Friday morning in Italy, Cookson was scheduled to fly out on Sunday to New York, where his father was hospitalized, and no one on the east coast of the United States was awake. After obtaining the required counseling and finalizing his legal documents, the only lingering problem for him was the necessary approval by BUMED. He understood the risks and maintained his determination to assist his father. I discussed the requirements with Cookson when he returned to our office. ![]() In addition, prior approval from the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) is required when a living organ donation is to be performed in a non-Army/Navy Organ Transplant Service Facility. Specifically, the Sailor must understand that his or her ability to remain in the naval service is contingent upon a favorable medical evaluation after the procedure. To do so, the Sailor must receive written counseling from his or her immediate commander and a medical officer prior to becoming a living donor. The instruction states that active duty Sailors may serve as living-related or -unrelated organ donors in the absence of better matched volunteer donors. After a little bit of research, I found BUMEDINST 6300.8A, “Donations, Transplants, and Disposition of Organs and Tissue.” And, since the Naval Justice School taught me not to “shoot from the hip,” I told him I would look into it while he finalized his travel plans. After a brief discussion about fitness for duty, I figured there had to be more to this issue. He is my dad.” I understood his position, but it was my job to ensure he followed all of the Navy’s rules and regulations in order to get his father the absolute best outcome and protect his Navy career at the same time. The first thing Cookson said to me was, “My father is concerned for my career, but of course he gets my liver. However, he was unsure how this decision would affect his career. Without any hesitation, Cookson decided to donate part of his liver in hope of saving his father’s life. Culinary Specialist Ronald Alden “Cookie” Cookson, had been diagnosed with liver cancer and had only two weeks to live if he did not receive a liver transplant. The day prior, Cookson learned that his father, U.S. Please visit our volunteering page to learn more.It was the end of my first week at the Naval Legal Service Office in Naples, Italy, when Information Systems Technician 1st Class Christopher Cookson walked in my door. We have a variety of projects that require volunteer support. ![]() Those who wish to donate their time provide the Naval Historical Foundation with an invaluable service. For those who wish to donate stocks or bonds, we have a process established for the electronic transfer of funds. To learn more, please visit our planned giving page. The Naval Historical Foundation’s Planning Giving program enables you to leave a lasting legacy of naval heritage for future generations. Please visit our online donation page for more information. We can accept your donations online, by phone, or by mail. There are many ways in which you can contribute or donate to our mission of preserving and promoting U.S. As an IRS-registered 501(c)(3) organization, all donations to the Foundation are tax deductible as long as you don’t receive anything in return. The Naval Historical Foundation’s financial support comes from dues-paying members and contributions from public-spirited individuals and organizations. Help Us Accomplish the Foundation’s Mission ![]()
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