⚓ Living Fully — My Journey Around Newfoundland with My Family ❤️

My name is Zach, and this past summer I set out on the journey of a lifetime with my wife, Andrea, our 4-year-old (now 5-year-old) daughter, Isabella, and our dog, Rocket — sailing around Newfoundland in a 65-foot boat that was generously lent to me by someone I met while looking to trade boats on Facebook Marketplace.

What started as a simple adventure became something much deeper — a journey about love, courage, and finding peace on the water. I wanted to show Isabella that anything is possible, no matter what life brings.

The ocean has always been a big part of our story. When Andrea and I first started dating, we spent our days in a little 21-foot boat with Rocket, cod fishing, exploring beaches, and camping in quiet coves. It was out there, on the water and under the stars, that we fell in love. Those memories became the heart of who we are as a couple and later as a family.

On August 1, 2023, I was diagnosed with liposarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that has since spread to my bones and other areas. I’ve received the maximum-dose treatment in Toronto, but in the spring of 2024, I was told to get my affairs in order. Those words change everything — but instead of giving up, I chose to live.

Before my diagnosis, I worked as a lineman and had just started two small businesses with Andrea — a taxi company and an auto repair shop. We were building a future together, but my illness forced us to close both within the year. I haven’t been able to return to work, and Andrea has taken time off to care for me and spend these precious moments together as a family.

About six months before I found out I was sick, I tried to get life insurance. Without a family doctor at the time, some blood work came back high — and I was told to reapply in a year. Unfortunately, I was diagnosised with cancer within that year.

Now, my focus is simple — to create memories with my family and leave something for them to remember me by. I’ve been working on my old GMC truck, fixing it up to give to Andrea and Isabella. The first I took Isabella for a ride in the old GMC she asked if this is going to be her truck when she is an adult. It was my dream truck when I was in high school and I want Isabella to be able to live out that dream. I’ve also started building my own casket — not out of sadness, but out of love and peace. It’s my way of easing the burden for my family and taking part in that process with acceptance and dignity.

I also plan to restore our first 21-foot boat — the one where Andrea, Rocket, and I fell in love — so she and Isabella can keep exploring the coves and beaches we once shared together. Knowing they’ll have that piece of our story to carry forward brings me comfort.

This GoFundMe will help support my family by:

• Providing financial stability for Andrea and Isabella in the time ahead

• Covering household and daily living costs as we focus on time together

• Assisting with funeral expenses, including materials for my casket (planning on putting together my own) and final arrangements

• Helping ensure Isabella’s future as she begins kindergarten

• Allowing me to finish restoring the GMC truck and 21-foot boat for Andrea, Isabella, and Rocket — lasting pieces of love, memory, and Newfoundland’s beauty

Our story will be featured on Sailing La Vagabonde, the world-renowned sailing YouTube channel, which followed our family’s journey around Newfoundland — a voyage filled with kindness, community, and gratitude — after we connected through the SeaPeople app during our trip.

If our story touches your heart, please consider helping us make the most of the time we have together. Every donation, message, and share means more than words can ever say.

Thank you for helping me live this chapter with love, dignity, and purpose — surrounded by the people (and pup) who mean everything to me. ❤️

With gratitude,

Zach (with Andrea, Isabella & Rocket)