The 23rd of April will forever be a day of sorrow & mourning; a time of devastation, as it marks the day our beloved Zach lost his life in attempt to quiet his troubles. A decision that would cause a pain deeper than anything any of us could ever imagine.

Zach was such an incredible person who influenced the lives of so many people; a jokingly witty boy who was growing into such an incredibly exceptional man. He would do anything for any one that he loved, without hesitation or delay. He didn't have to pretend or try hard, it's just who he was. I knew him to be stubborn but that's one of the things I loved most about him. He was brave & he was outspoken. He was so many things & meant the world to so many people. But there was something so wicked growing inside of him, something he couldn't shake, something that many of us may never face or challenge. And ultimately that suffering cost him his life.

I'll never forget the feeling that came over me when I got the phone call. The trembling voice on the other end was full of such agony & despair, something you wouldn't wish on anyone. I didn't know what to do. And I certainly didn't know what to say. I knew my second family would need me there. And I knew I would have to act fast. Our lives were forced into a whirlwind of questions, confusion & heartbreak & there was no fixing this. As I drove 12 hours home from Charlotte, NC I struggled to put together the perfect words to approach such a delicate situation. No one ever thinks that they'll be effected by suicide. No matter how badly someone may be hurting, we always hold onto hope & foresee better days ahead. But when it happens, when the evil overcomes any possible lingering light, you're left with an emptiness so hollow that it seems no amount of happiness will ever be able to fill that void.

I had absolutely no idea how strikingly difficult it would be to watch as a mother shattered into a million pieces just at the thought of ever stepping foot into a place she so easily once called home. A woman who devoted her entire life & every decision she ever made to providing a better future for her children. The safe haven she once called home would now be a place of anguish & torment. The images of holding her eldest boy in her arms as his life was slowly slipping away, trying everything she could in her power to keep him alive is now a nightmare she can't escape.

As a very close family friend I am creating this page as a common ground for all family, friends & well wishers of Zachary to make donations in his name. The next few months are going to be the most difficult for his family. With medical expenses and wishes to find a new place to stay including a security deposit and first months rent. I am asking that anyone who can find it in their heart to make it just a little easier for them to please help. Any additional funds will be donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.