Medical & Funeral Expenses For Gilbert Family

BJ and Shannon Gilbert are two of the most kindhearted, charitable, and amicable people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. They’ve been nothing but welcoming and warm to me- along with everyone else that’s ever had the pleasure of meeting them. They’re the parents to three children; Mason, Madelyn, and Zachary. Both sons are diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which is a disorder of progressive muscular weakness that typically occurs in men. It is currently incurable. Their oldest son, Zachary, was diagnosed when he was only four years old. Zachary has been a fighter his entire life. He’s always been an inspiration to not only his family and friends, but others who are also living with DMD. Zach’s family say he is a big fan of video games and soccer. This past Wednesday (5-31-2023), Zach (25) went into cardiac arrest in their home. Shannon immediately started CPR while Maddy called 911. EMS arrived and were able to get ROSC on scene. EMS took Zach to PRMC for further medical care. Unfortunately, Zach suffered damage to his heart and brain due to his cardiac event. While at the hospital, Zach was having seizures. Hospital staff put him under sedation as an attempt to help the seizures, but were unable to wean him off of sedation successfully. An MRI was done on Saturday (6-3-23). That same day, BJ and Shannon made the decision no parent should ever have to make- they signed the paperwork for no heroic measures to be taken for their son if he were to experience another cardiac episode. The MRI and all the other scans and tests done proved that Zach’s quality of life would not be ideal and that he could not live without the help of machines. As much as his entire family wants to keep him here, they know that isn’t what Zach would want for himself. BJ and Shannon devote their lives to helping their boys. They have always put their children first and have been their sons’ primary caregivers. They’ve had to make decisions no parent should ever have to make. As of today (6-05-2023), Zachary is still in the hospital. Arrangements are currently being made for Zachary to donate his abdominal organs. If you feel inclined to, this gofundme was created to help the family with medical and funeral expenses. This family has always been extremely generous to their friends, family, and the community around them and now it’s time for us to help them. If you’re not in a financial position to donate, please share to get the word out.