BRANDEE COOKSTON

This Spotlight appeared in our June 2024 newsletter.

Hi Brandee! Thanks so much for letting us get to know you this month! Please introduce yourself, and tell us a little bit about how you got connected with the Foundation: 

Hey there! I’m Brandee Cookston, and I was diagnosed with severe vWD in 1999, three years after losing my brother to a different blood disorder. Growing up, I only knew boys with hemophilia in my area and couldn’t fully relate to them. In 2015, I jumped into the community and started finding other severe vWD patients, including my best friend, Stacy Bond. She told me about VWD Connect, but I couldn’t attend the first year. Since then, I’ve made it a point to be at every conference.

Where do you live? What are your favorite and least favorite parts about it? 

I was born and raised in Bayou La Batre, a small fishing community on the Gulf Coast of Alabama. If you’re familiar with Forrest Gump, you’ll know it as Bubba’s hometown. Most of my family works in the seafood industry, and I love being able to cook with fresh catches straight off the boat. Despite living on the coast, I have a fun fact to share – I actually dislike the beach. However, I do enjoy going out on the boat and fishing.

Those of us who’ve known you in the Foundation know you are a dedicated pet person. In honor of June’s National Hug Your Cat Day, please tell us more about your pets.

I have three cats and a rabbit. Usually, you’ll only see one of my cats and my adorable bunny. The other two are quite shy and tend to hide whenever they hear or see someone other than myself. Mozzie, my calico, is the oldest at 13 years old. I rescued her from a family member who couldn’t care for her anymore. Livi, my second cat, is 10 years old. I was only supposed to be fostering her until her owner found her a new home, but she ended up becoming a permanent part of my household. Savannah, my Ragdoll, is the one you’ll often see on our Zoom calls. She was a gift from a sweet student I was tutoring. Poppy the bunny, showed up in my backyard as a baby last January. She ended up following Savannah inside my house and has been here ever since. I tried to find her owner, but nobody claimed her. She is free-roam in my house and is litter box trained. Although she’s caused me to lose quite a few phone chargers, she seems to have finally mellowed out and stopped chewing on all of my things.

I think everyone will want to know: Do the bunny and the cats get along?

All of the cats get along with Poppy. The older two really just tolerate her, but she and Savannah have the closest bond. It’s so heartwarming to watch them play. I still don’t think Savannah understands that Poppy can’t play with her like a cat would.

You’ve been such a present and beloved member of our community, and as you said have attended most of the conferences. Do you have any favorite conference memories?

My absolute favorite conference memories are the moments I shared with the amazing doctors and other medical professionals. I’ll never forget watching them being pulled to the dance floor by patients, belting out karaoke tunes, and playing in our super competitive trivia night. These unique experiences are what make VWD Connect so special!