Dear friends, family, and supportive people who we are yet to know and be grateful for. Before I explain the medical emergency that has rocked Zach's life, our family, and the life of his wife, daughter, and son, I would like to introduce you to the man that I look up to so very much and take great pride in calling 'brother'.
Zach is a hardworking, fun loving, open hearted, and thoughtful man. He is always ready to put in his best effort in any endeavor, approaches new people and situations with an open mind and open heart, and is always putting his family and loved ones first. Zach has toiled over the last year to help his family settle into a new life in California. In order to do so he has had to commute an average of 3-4 hours round trip each day for work, sometimes as often as 6 days a week. He treats his family with love and respect, and he never complains about making the necessary sacrifices that are needed to ensure that his family be happy and healthy. He is also an amazing artist and can do just about anything with his hands. He is a gifted man with a great deal to share with the world. 
Several months ago Zach began to notice severe pain in his leg and foot. He did what he normally does when experiencing aches and pains and ignored it. As time went by the pain became worse and worse, until finally on his way to work one day he had to turn around and call in sick. After being unable to return to work for several days due to the pain he realized that something was seriously wrong. He finally went to the doctor and after a battery of tests and an MRI it was discovered that he had a tumor in his lower spine and was diagnosed with a rare condition called "Myxopapillary Ependymoma". The tumor would prove benign but had been growing for a long time and had begun crushing all the nerves controlling his lower extremities. Zach has been unable to return to work for several weeks and after a successful surgery, will remain in recovery for several more weeks or even up to a few months. Thankfully Zach has been able to claim disability and has health insurance. With that said, he is still going to have to pay a high deductible and will need to borrow money from friends and family to cover the gap in living expenses for the time he has been out of work.
Living hand to mouth makes it hard for families such as my brother's make it through such a life altering medical emergency as this, and this is why I am asking for your help. The $5000 goal will not cover all his expenses nor make up for the lost income from his time off from work. What it will do is give Zach and his family peace of mind and the financial buffer they need to ensure that they not be left in severe debt after this emotional family crisis. 
On behalf of Zach, his wife, and children, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for any and all that you can give. The pain and suffering that Zach and his loved ones have endured over the past many weeks has thankfully been lessened by the success of his recovery thus far but there is still a long way to go. Your support will help ensure that Zach will continue to stay positive and know that while life may not always be fair, there are people in the world that can ensure it will be kind. So from the bottom of all our hearts, thank you, thank you, thank you...