October 14, 2007

Prayer Needed for DBU President Gary Cook

DBU President Dr. Gary Cook was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) on Friday, October 12, and he was hospitalized as soon as they discovered the disease.

AML is a form of leukemia which is very aggressive, and once someone is discovered to have this disease, they are required to begin treatment immediately.

He will be undergoing treatment for the next several months; however, for the next month, he will remain in the hospital.

On Sunday, October 14, they began his first round of chemotherapy.

Unlike other forms of cancer, AML does not necessarily have stages associated with it, and it is still very early in the process to know what the overall diagnosis is.

He is in good hands, and he is being treated by some very capable doctors.

Early test results seem to indicate that the particular form of AML that he has will respond well with treatment. Also, since Dr. Cook has remained in such good shape over the years, we are very optimistic about his treatment and recovery.

Prior to Diagnosis

Dr. Cook had not been feeling his usual healthy self in the weeks prior to this. He had a coughing spell and shortness of breath and some fatigue. Since he was going in for his annual physical on Friday, October 12, he decided to ask the doctor about this when he saw him.

When they ran some blood work, they noticed the problem and immediately hospitalized him.

No Visitation

Dr. Cook is unable to see any visitors given the treatment he is receiving, and he will also be unable to receive any flowers or food or phone calls.

He will be able to receive cards, notes, and emails, so feel free to pass those along to him. If you would like to send him any greeting, you may send emails to Blake Killingsworth at blake@dbu.edu, or you may send cards or notes of encouragement to the President's Office, Dallas Baptist University, 3000 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas, Texas 75211-9299.

Prayer

The best thing that anyone can do is to pray for Dr. and Mrs. Cook, as well as the Cook family (David, Mark, and Nicole). We serve a mighty God, and over the years, Dr. Cook has turned to God in prayer, and God has been faithful to answer these prayers. So Dr. Cook trusts in the power of prayer, and he has humbly asked for others to pray for him during this time.