PARK RIDGE, N.J.— Longtime Volunteer Fire Department member Mark “Cookey” Eisen needs a kidney transplant.
According to Mayor Keith Misciagna in an appeal to residents last week, “Mark has spent 30 years serving his community and offering his culinary skills to keep his fellow first responders fed and now he needs our help.”
The mayor said Eisen, who was recently placed on the National Kidney Registry due to diagnosis of stage IV kidney failure brought on by diabetes, is scheduled to begin dialysis this year but is hoping to avoid that by receiving a kidney donation.
“Please visit parkridgefire.com or the Park Ridge Volunteer Fire Department Facebook or Instagram pages to see what you can do to help and please join us in saying a prayer for Cookey,” said Misiagna.
Prior to giving back to his community, Eisen proudly served in the United States Navy, where he earned his nickname.
@parkridgefire said on Instagram,“Cookey is part of the fabric of the Park Ridge Fire Department, always making sure that our family is fed, but he never limited assistance to just the Fire Department.”
The department added, “Cookey has been an integral part of helping many community organizations throughout town such as the Park Ridge Elks, the American Legion, serving on the Tri-Boro Volunteer Ambulance Corps Board of Governors, working the kitchen for OpGrad Pasta Dinners, and manning the grill whenever he was asked to help.”
Moreover, it said, “Through his actions and spirit of service, Cookey has made the Park Ridge community a part of his family along with, his wife, Marcia, and sons Scott and David.”
At his page with the National Kidney Registry, nkr.org/FCU658, Eisen said he was hoping for a donation in time to head off “dreaded dialysis.”
“It is affecting my family as they are worried for me and I don’t want them to have to worry as they have enough on their plates. I feel life is short and I would like to live as long as possible as I have a lot to live for,” he said.
He also supplied a richly detailed bio, more than justifying the rich outpouring of love, prayer, and well wishes that quickly followed the department’s announcement of his quest.
“I have lived an amazing life. I was lucky enough to grow up in the Bronx, and then I was honored to be able to serve my country for almost seven years in the U.S. Navy as a cook, gunner, and on the Helicopter Crash Team. I have been a volunteer firefighter for almost 29 years as well as being a member of the Park Ridge Elks and Park Ridge American Legion.”
Eisen said, “My mother has always taught us it is important to give back, as that is what makes a community and family. I have a great family, a wife, two sons, daughter-in-law, grandkids, brothers, nieces, nephews, cousins. My amazing family is in the fire department as well as the Elks and American Legion.”
He added, “I work for the best company with the best co-workers, who are not only great at their jobs but care so much about the dental industry and how our products better people’s lives.”
Eisen said, “I truly like serving the community and hope to continue living as long as possible with my family and friends.”
Noting he lost “a serious amount of weight in the past few months,” Eisen said “If someone is giving me their kidney I will need to take care of it. I have changed my eating habits and lifestyle around. I will have to start dialysis sometime in 2021 and am hoping it is in the later part. I am hoping to get a kidney donated before I have to start the dreaded dialysis.”