Pasco officer finally going home after ruptured brain aneurysm

PASCO – A Pasco police officer is getting out of the hospital nearly three weeks after a medical condition threatened his life.

Officer Jeff Cobb has been recovering at Spokane’s Sacred Heart Medical Center since late February after a ruptured brain aneurysm.

“Clinically he is doing very well,” his father, Mike Cobb, told the Herald. “(His doctors) they feel the best place for his recovery is to be at home with friends and family.”

Jeff Cobb’s parents found their son Feb. 27 disorientated, confused and complaining about a headache. When they rushed him to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, they learned about the hemorrhage, said a GoFundMe organized by Marissa Miller, a family friend.

After emergency surgery, the 34-year-old was flown to Sacred Heart.

The attack came on without any sign of a problem, Mike Cobb said at the time. And the family has no history of the condition.

Slow recovery

Jeff Cobb’s journey since arriving at the Spokane hospital has been up and down, sometimes in the same day, according to regular posts on the GoFundMe campaign.

He was in the intensive care unit for 18 days before being transferred to a medical floor.

Doctors have been good at predicting the possible outcomes, said Mike Cobb, a retired Richland police captain.

“It has been very gratifying to see the level of care he has been receiving,” he said. “As a parent, it’s terrifying to see your son in a position where he may not survive this. … But knowing that he is in such good clinical hands has made this whole process easier. “

The experience has been frustrating at times for him because he’s been limited to seeing his son either remotely or just a few minutes at a time when he is on his way to physical therapy.

He is expected to make a full recovery, but it’s not certain how soon he will return to his patrol car.

The timeline for recovery differs from person to person, and he needs to rebuild his stamina after such a long stay in the hospital, said Mike Cobb.

“It certainly won’t be in the next couple of weeks,” he said. “We’ve got a great team that is firmly committed to recovery.”

Outpouring of support

Jeff Cobb has been able to talk with fellow officers, friends and relatives by texting and video messaging.

People have come out in droves to support the Cobb, who has spent nearly nine years with Pasco police.

So far, Miller’s GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $48,000 to help him cover the medical bills and the time out of work.

In addition, a fundraising car wash was held at the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter last week.

The outpouring of support from the community helped buoy his and his family’s spirits, Mike Cobb said.

“We’re very fortunate to live in a community that supports our officers in this way,” he said. “We’re incredibly grateful that’s why we’re proud to call the Tri-Cities home.”