This successful sea turtle scan at Decatur Morgan Hospital will make your day

Doctors at Decatur Morgan Hospital treated a one-of-a-kind patient this week: Kale, a sea turtle from the Cook Museum.

Kale was hooked by a fisherman in 2019. He has been through several surgeries to heal the wound, but he was left with scar tissue and fistula, an abnormal connection between two body parts. On Tuesday, he went through a CT scan to let the medical staff know of any infections Kale might have from the hooking incident or from his past treatments.

“We are so glad that we could help Kale and our friends at the Cook Museum.”

Kelli Powers, Decatur Morgan Hospital President

Kale receives constant medical attention

The fistula, an abnormal connection between organs, caused Kale to require medical attention every now and then. This makes him a sea turtle that could not be released back into the wild.

In addition to the CT scan, the animal care staff and Cook Museum’s veterinarian team have spent hundreds of hours helping Kale recover from his infections.

“The administration, doctors and staff of Decatur Morgan Hospital have really gone above and beyond!”

Scott Mayo, Cook Museum Executive Director

Kale lives at the Cook Museum

Kale has been at the Cook Museum since 2020 but came off display in January of 2022 due to health concerns. Kale has received medical treatments since his arrival to the cook museum, and this CT scan is just one step to get Kale back in the museum’s Ocean Tank.

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