A North Augusta, South Carolina, community is rallying behind a police officer who came down with a sudden illness and is in the hospital fighting for his life.
Local businesses are looking to lift the burden off of Sgt. Andrew Cook by raising money for his family and for medical expenses related to his recovery, WRDW reported.
Your Pie Pizza in downtown North Augusta, for example, is saving a portion of all sales to support Cook and his family.
Shoppe3130 is another business that is using its proceeds to support Cook as he recovers from his illness.
Cook has worked with the public safety department in North Augusta since 2000. He has now spent several weeks in the hospital fighting an unexpected illness.
Cook was recently diagnosed with colon cancer and also came down with the coronavirus while undergoing treatment. After he recovered from the coronavirus, Cook began to have complications stemming from his colon cancer surgery, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
“Sgt. Cook has been with public safety for a number of years now, he started out as a firefighter with us and always helpful to the community and a good person,” said Lt. Junior Johnson from North Augusta Public Safety.
Cook is also a husband and a father of two children.
Lt. Tim Thornton, public information officer for the North Augusta Department of Public Safety, said that the department is extremely grateful to the local businesses with a personal connection to the Cook family to pay medical bills.
“It is just an example of how North Augusta people rally together in a time of need,” he said. “The North Augusta community has a history of rallying around people in need and when they are aware of it.”