‘It Was Insane:' Tennessee Man Makes Remarkable Recovery At OU Health

A family is finally heading home after two months at OU Health. 

According to the CDC, 100,000 people die from blood clots every year. Paul Cookson should be one of those people. Instead, he has a story to tell.

Cookson surprised doctors beyond what they thought was possible. “Things are put in place the way it’s meant to be,” said Ginger Cookson, Paul Cookson’s wife. “The way it’s meant to happen.” 

For the Cookson family, conversations around the table with their family in Yukon make up for lost time. They made the trip from Nashville to celebrate Christmas. “Here we are eight weeks later,” Ginger said. 

They never went home because a pulmonary embolism -- a blood clot in Paul’s legs – made its way to his lungs and heart. “One day travel; next day my face hit the floor,” Paul said. “Your life can change in an instant,” Paul said. 

EMTs rushed him to OU Health. “I did not think Paul would be alive,” said Dr. Mohit Pahuja, a cardiologist at OU Health. 

Paul went into cardiac arrest five times in 40 minutes. “They had him on three different machines,” Ginger said. 

However, Paul woke up and Pahuja couldn’t believe it. “Not possible – but it happened,” Pahuja said. 

Cardiologist Dr. Mohit Pahuja’s team got Paul a heart pump. “To provide oxygen into your lungs as well as support the right side of your heart,” Pahuja said. 

Paul’s heart carries a new beat because his doctors didn’t give up. “He stood up and started dancing for me,” Pahuja said.  

Ginger and Paul will get another Valentine's Day together. “The OU Health medical team is amazing,” Paul said. “It’s great to have a strong wife to take care of everything that you’re going through.” 

They’ll head home to Nashville -- better late than never. “It wasn’t Paul’s time to go,” Ginger said. Pahuja said the EMS team that brought Paul to the hospital was important in saving Paul’s life.