Hey everyone. My name is Katie Broadbent. I am
Zachary’s big sister. I’m putting this Go-Fund-Me account together on his
behalf. Here are the highlights of recent events in his life.
We were camping on the Kaibab Mountain when, on the morning of Tuesday, May
19th he suffered a seizure at around 3:30 AM. He was rushed to the
hospital in Kanab and subsequently flown to Phoenix Children's Hospital
via Life Flight. (His 20th in the last 10 years). To date he has been in ICU for
nearly five weeks. He has had 6 MRIs. Five of them were two hours long
each for which he had to be sedated. He’s had 3 spinal taps, 2 CT scans, 2
ultrasounds, 6 X-rays, a PET scan, a PICC line installed, a dialysis port
installed and a biopsy of the brain. They removed part of his skull about
the size of a large coin for the biopsy. They have tested for over 70,000
viruses etc. and the consensus is that he has CNS-PTLD (Central Nervous
System - Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder). Definition: A
group of serious and life-threatening conditions in which white blood cells
multiply abnormally and out of control following an organ transplant. (He
received his transplant kidney four years ago). He’s being treated for a
viral infection for now and not cancer, even though PTLD is a cancer. The
doctors have had a difficult time diagnosing exactly what it is because it’s
so rare and most of them have never seen this before. It’s not acting like
“normal” PTLD. They suspected encephalitis at one point. They have sent a
part of the biopsy to The National Institute of Health for a deeper analysis.
He’s on dialysis again because his kidney is in rapid decline. The
doctors are saying to expect a 2 to 4 year stay in Phoenix for extensive
physical therapy, speech therapy and dialysis, while waiting for another
kidney transplant.
Zach is completely nonverbal. He cannot chew or swallow food. He
has no control of his limbs and has not been able to even open his eyes.
He declined rapidly and his only form of communication is to cry out like
an infant. When he does so, it’s hard to tell if he’s in pain, hungry, needs a
hug, trying to say something, or simply needs his back scratched. Along
with the countless appointments, treatments and time away from home
and family he continues fighting through one challenge after another.
In the weeks prior to the seizure, Zach had a booth at the Farmer’s
Market every weekend to raise money, selling baked goods that he helped
make, because he knew that sometime in the near future he would need
to start dialysis again. He wanted to help, as much as he could, to lighten
the financial burden on the family. Even while facing his own health
challenges he has been determined to do his part to defray the cost of
trips etc.
Through all of this we recognize that Zach is in God’s hands. He is the
great healer and giver of life. We trust in Him and want His will in all
things. We are deeply grateful for all the prayers; the faith and support of
family, friends and community. We are grateful for the efforts of the
doctors and nurses who care for him. We ask for the continued support of
all. If you feel inclined to help financially, we ask that you support this Go-
Fund-Me created on Zach’s behalf.