As many of you know, Zach has been through more than anyone should ever have to endure. Zach went from being a completely normal, active kid—participating in activities, functions, sports, and all the everyday things a normal teenage boy does—to having a seizure that drastically changed his life.

Zach went from being independent to being completely dependent on someone to help him. He couldn’t talk, eat, walk, use the bathroom, shower, or take care of himself. There are some permanent disabilities that he will have to live with, and unfortunately, he will never be able to fully return to the life he had before.

It has now been 15 weeks since Zach’s life flight. While he has made some improvements, he is still struggling and remains nowhere near a resemblance of the life he had before.

On July 3rd, Zach experienced his second bladder rupture, which resulted in an emergency and extensive surgery. The doctors were able to repair his bladder, and after several days of recovery, Zach spent the next two months in In-Patient Rehab. His days were filled with therapy and treatment designed to help him regain as much independence and strength as possible.

His main daily therapies have been:

OT (Occupational Therapy)

PT (Physical Therapy)

ST (Speech and Feeding Therapy)

He also participated in school and other activities throughout the day. Every little bit of progress has been hard-earned.

About three weeks ago, we were moved from In-Patient Rehab to the 8th Floor of the hospital. The doctors then placed his dialysis port back in and started him on a scheduled dialysis treatment.

Throughout all of this, Zach has had two drains in his bladder to help prevent another rupture. On August 26th, he underwent another major surgery. The doctors removed those two drains and placed one permanent drain that he will have for the rest of his life. While this is obviously a major change, it will hopefully make things much easier for Zach long-term by eliminating the need for daily and nighttime catheterization and allowing him to have a little more independence in managing his care.

The next step is determining whether Zach qualifies to transition to Out-Patient dialysis. If he does, he will live at the Ronald McDonald House in Phoenix with his mom and me (Katie) until he is able to return home.

We will be his full-time caregivers—bathing, carrying, changing, feeding, managing all of his medications and treatments, and doing everything necessary to keep him healthy and moving forward.

This is incredibly difficult for Zach. He is a growing teenage boy who was once completely independent, and now he needs his mom and sister to help him with things that were once second nature. He constantly tells us how sorry he is that his mom has to help him with things he used to do for himself. That is who Zach is. He is one of the most sensitive, thoughtful, and caring young men you could ever meet. Even through everything he is going through, he worries more about his mom than he does about himself.

Zach will be on dialysis every other day for approximately 3–4 hours each treatment, and he will remain in Phoenix until he is able to receive another kidney transplant. His doctors estimate that this could take anywhere from 2–4 years. We will be making trips to the hospital once or twice a day for appointments, therapies, and dialysis. There is still a very long road ahead of Zach, and yet through all of this he remains faithful and positive.

Zach said: “I hope Heavenly Father blesses everyone that is praying for me to get better.”

He understands that God is the great healer and giver of life. He knows that his life is in God’s hands.

We cannot thank everyone enough for the prayers, love, messages, encouragement, and support you have given Zach and our family throughout this journey. Your prayers have carried us through.

If you feel impressed or are in a position to help financially, we would be incredibly grateful for any donation made to the GoFundMe created on Zach’s behalf. Every contribution will help with the expenses that come with that.

Most importantly, please continue to pray for Zach. ❤️

Thank you for loving him, praying for him, and standing beside our family. We truly cannot express how much it means to us.