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Steven Nook, vice president of Drake Hall, died Friday during outpatient surgery to repair a badly separated shoulder he injured skiing Jan. 5. He wanted to be a physical education teacher and football coach.
Paul Shepherd, hall director at Coate Hall, worked with Nook last year when both lived in Reuter Hall. He described Nook as outgoing and friendly, a person who would enthusiastically introduce himself to those he didn't know.
"He was quite a force in the hall," Shepherd said. "He was really good at making people feel comfortable at where they were. Everyone in Reuter knew who he was. Pretty soon everyone on campus knew who he was. He was such a dynamic personality, someone who was kind of larger than life."
Nook entered the hospital Jan. 12 for a procedure that was expected to be routine. It wasn't, and the 20-year-old died two days later. The problem was malignant hyperthermia, a rare genetic condition caused by many common types of general anesthesia. The patient's temperature soars and muscle and organ damage occurs quickly.
"Suddenly there were signs that something was going very wrong,'" his mother, Jacque Nook, said about the surgery. "Steve's temperature was escalating and immediately the anesthesiologist told the surgical team to close — quickly."
Doctors and family had no reason to suspect that Nook, who never had a general anesthetic before, would experience malignant hyperthermia. No other family members have experienced problems with general anesthesia.
"It's nobody's fault that this happened," Jacque Nook said. "If he would have had his tonsils out in second grade, we would have lost him then."
Julie Faust, director at Drake Hall, said residents on campus are "in a state of shock and disbelief" over Nook's death.
"It doesn't seem fair, knowing he was such an amazing guy, that it came so suddenly," she said. Classes resume at UW-L on Monday.
Faust said Nook, as hall vice president, was helping organize a building recycling program as well as game tournaments for residents. He also helped coordinate movie nights and encouraged pride in Drake Hall residents.
Faust said she was touched by the number of people attending Nook's Tuesday service in Milwaukee.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Kate Schott can be reached at (608) 791-8226 or Kate.Schott@lacrossetribune.com
