We love you Zachary!!

Here's a flower for you!

Zachary Ray Buckentine

May 7, 2001 - October 31, 2003

Zachary was diagnosed with a brain tumor on January 9, 2002 at 8 months of age. Just one week later he was in surgery at Children's Minneapolis for a tumor resection. Pathology reports showed that is was Atypcal Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor, a terribly aggressive and difficult to treat childhood brain tumor.

Zachary underwent 3 rounds of aggressive chemotherapy that hospitalized him several times. The tumor recurred in April 2002. Due to the aggressive nature of this type of cancer, he was given 1-3 months to live. We're eternally grateful that Zachary outlived the odds and fought this beast for another 1 1/2 years. Over that time, he underwent continuous chemotherapy (several different kinds) as well as 29 rounds of radiation. At one point he appeared to be cancer free.

During that time, we had a wonderful 1 1/2 years with Zachary. But then the cancer recurred again on August 29, 2003. Zachary had another tumor resection on September 23, 2003. However, this time his little body just could not fight the cancer anymore and he died 1 month later on October 31, 2003 at the age of 2 1/2. He is in heaven, cancer free and happy. However the void in our hearts and in our family will not be filled until we meet him again.


Thank you for all of your prayers and support during this most difficult journey.



~*~ We love you Zachary! ~*~ We will never forget you! ~*~ We love you Zachary! ~*~ We will never forget you! ~*~

Journal

Thursday, May 7, 2009 1:56 PM CDT

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ZACHARY!

Zachary would be 8 years old today. Today we celebrate his life, short as it was. His name, Zachary Ray…so precious. “Ray” is after both of my grandfathers who, I might add, are still with us in their mid 80s. That was not the plan God had for Zachary. His 2.5 short years here were filled with many sad times and many happy times. A seemingly healthy boy, until his head started tilting to the side at 6 months. Who in a million years would have guessed a brain tumor?

The months of chemotherapy and radiation that were to follow…Zack took it all in stride. After all, I’m sure he thought this was completely normal. As one nurse stated shortly after diagnosis “you will have a new normal now.” And we did. Normal for Zachary was blood pressure checks, medications and blood draws. It was feeding tubes and ports, sedations and surgery, MRIs and CT scans, tracking blood counts and going to therapy. All of this to keep him with us for 2 years. We’d do it all over again, in a heartbeat, if we had to.

Today we celebrate a boy who LOVED fire trucks and skid loaders, Elmo and his brother Brady, playing in the sand and riding his bike. He was a happy boy. He warmed the hearts of all he knew him. He would have celebrated his First Communion this spring. How I wish we could have celebrated that with him.

Sending Happy Birthday wishes up to heaven Zachary!!! We love you!!!

Mom, Dad, Brady, Tate, McKenna and many other friends and family

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E-mail Author: jenbucke@hotmail.com

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