Cobb in search of kidney transplant

Jun. 1—Since making Owensboro his home in the late 1980s, Henderson County native Anthony Cobb has found ways to make an impact.

A veteran of the Persian Gulf War, he was with the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division and attained the rank of sergeant. He has been the former chaplain for the Owensboro Police Department and the local Fraternal Order of Police, a former pastor for Wing Avenue Baptist Church and a former Daviess County deputy constable.

He currently serves as the first vice commander for the James L. Yates American Legion Post No. 9, the chaplain for Owensboro-Daviess County Veterans Organization and the Justice of the Peace for Daviess County's eastern district.

But since 2020, Cobb has been in search of a kidney transplant following complications from a heart catheterization procedure.

Prior to issues with his kidney, Cobb lost his vision multiple times before losing it completely in his right eye. He also had his left leg amputated in 2019 due to an open-wound injury he sustained seven years before that never healed and eventually became infected.

While experiencing issues when putting on his prosthetic leg, Cobb contacted his friend, Owensboro Mayor Tom Watson, who wanted to check out what the problem was.

Upon arriving at Watson's former business, Tom Watson's Prosthetic and Orthotics Labs, Inc., Cobb was asked by Watson: "Are you having a hard time breathing?"

"I said: 'Yeah, I can't catch my breath for nothin', " Cobb said.

Watson directed Cobb to head to the emergency room immediately.

"When I got to the ER, I couldn't even get out of the truck. I just fell and (the staff) caught me," he said. "They did the surgery in the emergency room, and they took five liters of fluid off of me that day.

"They said: 'If you hadn't gotten here when you did, you probably would have drowned in your own fluid.' "

Cobb began doing dialysis at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital before moving onto a local outpatient facility a week later.

Today, June 1, marks two years since Cobb started dialysis. Since then, he has been on the lookout for a kidney donor.

"I've been looking for basically the whole two years because I found out I might qualify," he said.

Cobb has gone through a series of tests and was initially put on the list for a kidney transplant at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville before finding out he was no longer eligible.

"I (got) a letter in the mail saying that because (I) might have cancer, (they) were going to take me off the list," he said, "and once you come off the list, you can't go back on at (that) facility."

After getting the all-clear from his primary care physician that he didn't have cancer, Cobb was encouraged to seek out other facilities.

He eventually got accepted by Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis and is currently waiting to hear back from the University of Louisville Hospital and facilities in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

He also plans to see about getting on the list at the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital.

"We're just doing it one step at a time," Cobb said.

Cobb, who has an A-positive blood type, has also been focused on getting his weight down, which he's achieved through physical therapy and swimming.

Since starting dialysis, Cobb has gone from 307 pounds to 235 pounds.

He hopes to get his weight down even more.

"To get a live donor, they want you at 220 to 230 pounds," he said. "So, I'm still working on it."

While Cobb was at first resistant to starting dialysis, he has been keen on fighting and securing a donor for the sake of his 2-year-old granddaughter Addison and his four pseudo grandchildren that he met in church and have become part of his family.

"(Grandchildren change) your world, dude," Cobb laughed. "... I spent most of my adult life serving my country, my community and God; and I don't have any fear of dying, but there sure are some things I would like to see in all five of those girls do (in the future)."

If interested in donating or wanting to find out the qualifications on how to be a donor, visit kidneyregistry.org or nkr.org/xbj958.