DELTA TWP. — It’s been a long road to recovery for Barb Cook, the 72-year-old woman who was crticially injured after intervening in an attack that killed a 3-year-old girl near Cook’s home in February.
There have been some “really big steps forward,” and there have been setbacks, and it’s clear it will be a long process, said Cook’s daughter, Mary Stuible.
“It’s been a wild ride,” Stuible told the State Journal on Friday, June 5.
Doctors weren’t sure Cook would make it through the first night, and she was in intensive care for three weeks, her daughter said. Cook has been conscious and alert at times but falls back into “unawareness,” Stuible said.
Cook remains hospitalized and is now fighting some respiratory issues, Stuible said. She won’t be present when the Michigan Sheriff’s Association gives her and her husband, Jerome Cook, a medal of valor on June 7, Stuible said.
The couple has received similar awards from the Eaton County Sheriff’s Office and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the state Legislature. No one from the sheriff’s group was available for comment on June 3, but online records show the association will hold its annual conference and awards ceremony from June 7-9 in Muskegon.The incident in which Cook was injured happened on Feb. 13. Alexander Lamar Banks, Jr., 21, is charged with nine felony counts, including first-degree premeditated murder and assault with intent to murder in connection with the attack. Court proceedings are essentially on hold while Banks is being evaluated for mental competency.
Banks is accused of driving into a family of three on Green Meadows Drive before the vehicle hit a house and then shooting at the family with a shotgun. A 3-year-old girl was killed, and her parents were injured.
The attack stopped after Barbara Cook ran toward Banks, who struck her repeatedly with the shotgun, police said. Jerry Cook ran to her aid, and that’s when the suspect dropped the gun and ran, Stuible said.
Banks was not at the scene when police arrived. He was arrested later in the 3700 block of West Saginaw Highway in Lansing Township.
Stuible, of Dimondale, said her mother suffered brain injuries and is progressing through “a slow, gradual process toward awareness.” There have been times when she’s spoken, saying “I love you” and “good morning,” and she’s very alert at times, her daughter said.
“I always remain positive and hopeful (that she’ll) come out of this with some semblance of herself,” Stuible said.
As of June 5, a crowdfunding campaign had raised more than $51,000 to help with Barb’s recovery. Stuible said the family still needs help covering ongoing medical expenses.
Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on X @KBPalm_lsj
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Woman, 72, injured in fatal attack on Delta family fighting to recover
Reporting by Ken Palmer, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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By Ken Palmer, Lansing State Journal | USA TODAY Network
