Primary care provider Kelly Rodney Arnold presents a Patient of the Year Award to Cooper Allen, the brother of Coty Allen who had a positive attitude despite having a chronic illness and daily pain that led his unexpected death after multiple complications arose. The ceremony was held at the UT Family Practice Center in downtown Chattanooga.
David CookCoty Allen wasn’t at the ceremony on Thursday, when the doctors and nurses cheered for him, saying to anyone who would listen: We’ve never had a patient like him.
“I get teary talking about it,” said Dr. Kelly Arnold.
She first met him in the winter of 2013; Coty had come to her office at Erlanger’s UT Family Practice Center. He was 18, younger than Bieber, younger than a good Scotch.
He smiled. Those blue eyes. A head of wild, carefree curls. He reminded Dr. Arnold of someone.
“Elijah Wood,” she later said.