Steve Cookson, former Southeast Missouri legislator and retired educator, is recovering at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis from a liver transplant.  His surgery was Friday, January 29, 2021.

" On Thursday the 28th of January we got the call," per Joy Cookson, wife.  "A perfect matched liver was donated to Steve. Friday morning at 7 o’clock he had a liver transplant."  He left the hospital on February 2nd and is resting in a local hotel to be monitored for three weeks.  

"There are no words that he can say how very thankful he is for the prayers and forever grateful he is for the donor family. The donor and his family are real heroes. The medical staff at Barnes Jewish Hospital have been absolutely incredible. God has had his hand in this situation from the beginning and we thank Him so much for His loving care," continued Joy Cookson.

Mid-America Transplant organization helped secure the liver donation to save Cookson's life.  While in office serving as Missouri's 153rd Legislative District, he sponsored a bill encouraging Missouri schools to allow organ donation education to their students.  Governor Mike Parson signed the bipartisan bill into law in July of 2018.

Cookson was representing Carter and Ripley counties and parts of Wayne and Butler counties in the MO House of Representatives when he first publicly announced his illness in April of 2017.  He was diagnosed with liver failure, which was a result of a blood virus transmitted to him through a blood transfusion in the 1970s.

He also served as high school principal for East Carter and Doniphan school districts before holding office.  He was a superintendent of Naylor School District for eight years.

He is a graduate of Advance High school, Three Rivers College, College of the Ozarks and Southeast Missouri State University.

He and his wife, Joy, have one son, Tyler.