Mark and Signe Cook
Mark Cook has served as the Ellinwood High School principal for the past three years. Before that, he was principal in Herrington and Fowler. The man has touched a lot of lives through students, parents, faculty, and staff. An anxious crowd awaited him Monday in Ellinwood after returning home from over a month in the hospital and rehabilitation facility.
After citing problems sleeping and short of breath the last week of school, Cook went to a doctor to get checked out. The doctor detected an atrial fibrillation (AFib), or irregular heartbeat.
Mark’s wife, Signe Cook, noted it has been a long ride to recovery.
Signe Cook Audio
Mark started in Hays at the ICU on May 24 and then was flown to the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City. Signe says when Mark arrived in Kansas City, KU Med said he had a 20 percent chance of surviving. Despite no blockages, Mark’s heart was functioning at 15 percent. A normal well-functioning heart runs around 60 percent.
Signe says the support Mark has received from family, friends, and even words of encouragement on social media have been incredible.
Signe Cook Audio
As his organs continue to recover from the massive heart failure, Mark has been getting stronger and closer to full health over past few weeks. Mark passed all of his physical therapy tests in Kansas City Sunday, and was cleared to return home Monday. Mark’s heart was up to 55 percent functionality recently and will continue his physical therapy at Central Kansas Orthopedic Group in Great Bend.
