Ozark man fights for his life in Birmingham hospital; family asks for help
OZARK, Ala (WDHN) — An Ozark family is calling on the community for help while a beloved friend and loved one is fighting for his life in Birmingham after being blindsided by a trip to the hospital.
Carl 'Coop' Cooper is a golf-loving Carroll High School alum who is a beloved friend to so many across the Wiregrass.
'He is just a social butterfly,' His girlfriend, Trudi Boyd, said. 'He is just nice to everybody, strong, active, so this really came out of nowhere.
Cooper was rushed to Dale County Medical Center on the Friday before Easter, where he was told he had a tear in his heart.
'It came as a shock because he is always doing something,' Boyd said. 'Always working in the yard, and this just so blindsided us because he takes care of himself, he eats healthy.'
From Dale County Medical, he was taken to UAB Hospital in Birmingham, where doctors gave him medication for the tear, but learned he also had internal bleeding.
After finding the internal bleeding, doctors had to put Cooper on ECMO to control his lungs and heart, on dialysis to help his kidneys, and on a ventilator to help him breathe.
'Each day we see a little bit of progress,' Boyd said. 'He's on the lowest doses of everything. He's fighting hard, but he is still in critical care.'
Boyd said he is fighting so that he can return to Wiregrass and continue living the life he loves.
'We got a lot left to do, you know he still has a lot of life left in him and a lot of life left to live, and we just want to bring him home so we can continue down that path,' Boyd said.
Boyd says that the last nine days have been very hard watching her boyfriend go through this, but it is also leaving an impact on their finances.
It has taken Boyd away from her job at The Village Inn in Newton, and Cooper is retired and on a fixed income.
'Of course, you have to pay for everything. Parking, food, and I have been staying in the room with him,' Boyd said. 'Any help would be greatly appreciated. We have no idea how long he is going to be here.'
This hospital stay has left the couple looking for help from the community, which they have already received in small doses.
'Just shows you the kind of people that there are in the community, and when things happen like this, they come together, it's really amazing to see,' Boyd said. 'I know it's in God's hands and he's fighting. We are not going to give up on him, I know he's not going to give up.'
Friends of the couple are raising money to help them during their time in Birmingham, while The Village Inn is also collecting donations.
Boyd is also collecting donations through her Venmo (@Trudi-Boyd), PayPal (trudileigh70), and Cash App ($TrudiBoyd).
Boyd says if people still want to help, they can also keep the family in their thoughts and prayers.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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