Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

Seven-year-old Hunter Cooke has been in and out of hospitals throughout his young life. As a baby, he was diagnosed with the genetic disease cystic fibrosis, a mucus-based disease that mostly affects the lungs and stomachs but which inevitably has repercussions on the entire body.

At one month of age, Hunter – the son of Marla Martin and stepson of Chris Jacobs - was hospitalized for several months, his first of many long hospital stays.

“He was practically raised in a hospital,” said his great-grandmother Lois Thomas. “Any little bug or cold, it would really knock him down.”

Earlier this month, Hunter received a double lung transplant and he remains in the Intensive Care Unit at Boston Children’s Hospital. Hunter’s mother carried a beeper and since he was at the top of the list for organs, not even a month went by before they were paged. He had to be to the hospital in Boston in five hours.

Hunter’s new lungs will enable him to breathe more easily, as his own lungs were damaged when he was an infant.

There is no cure for cystic fibrosis and the disease gradually gets worse as it attacks different areas of the body and immune system. However, recent technology and medicine has helped to increase the life expectancy of someone with cystic fibrosis to late 30s or 40s.

Although Hunter will never be free of cystic fibrosis, advanced medicine and procedures can improve his quality of life.

Back home in Akwesasne, Hunter’s family has created Hunter’s Hope, an organization of family and friends who are committed to raising money for Hunter that will help him and his family through their many trying times.

Hunter is expected to be in the Boston Children’s Hospital for 2-3 months. While he is in ICU his mother is able to stay at the hospital, but when he’s transferred to a regular unit, his mother will need to stay someplace else. The hospital, however, requires her to be close by so family members have volunteered to help care for her other two children, a 9-year-old and 18-month –old, back home in Akwesasne, with help from Hunter’s stepfather.

Hunter’s story has touched the Akwesasne community quickly. The family doesn’t know of any other Akwesasne family who is living with cystic fibrosis.

Although being in and out of hospitals limits Hunter’s attendance at school, he continues to attend when he can and has the support of the faculty. Last year, he wasn’t able to join his pre-k peers due to class size, but Mrs. Karin Thompson agreed to take him into her kindergarten class. Despite being in and out of school Hunter enjoyed school and at the end of the year Mrs. Thompson graded him at a pre-k level so he would technically pass that grade. Mrs. Thompson also discussed Hunter’s disease with the other students, explaining to them that he might get tired more quickly than them or be out of school at times.

When Hunter is hospitalized, he usually has a tutor who works with him to get him as caught up as possible.

Despite a life of doctor’s appointments, respirators and hospital stays, Hunter is said to be bright, happy child who lives an otherwise normal life.

Fundraising events planned include:

- a silent auction Friday, March 27 at the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe Community Building. After 4 p.m. the auction will be moved to the Senior’s Center in Hogansburg until Monday.

-an indoor craft and bake sale at the Kateri Hall on April 4

-a benefit dance and breakfast possibly taking place Mother’s Day Weekend

-a golf tournament on July 24

-a 50/50 raffle going on now

To donate to any of the fundraising events, please contact Lois Thomas at 518-358-9647.