Zachary Tucker Z takes on Brain Squatter

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.


On April 3, 2017, Zach realized he had had one too many severe headaches and decided with his mom it was time to head to the ER and find out what was going on.   After an intitial CAT scan, a very large mass measuring 6-7cm was discovered in Zach's head.  He was immediately  transferred to another hospital that could handle the numerous MRIs and other neurological scans required to figure out exactly what Zach was dealing with.  One thing we all knew for certain was that he had to get this thing removed as soon as possible.  After discussing as a family, we determined the surgery should be completed at the UMD Medical Center where almost 9 years earlier, Zach's twin brother, Brandon, had received such phenomenal care.  Zach and the family felt confident in their abilities.  After meeting with the head neurosurgeon and his team, they presented to us their "plan of attack" against Zach's tumor.  They decided the removal would best be accomplished in multiple phases including two surgeries, the first of which was scheduled on Tuesday April 11.  After an eight hour craniotomy procedure, an agonizing wait in the "Healing Garden" waiting room for the family, and a couple more hours of post-op waiting, Zach's first procedure was complete.  While they only removed a small portion of the tumor during this procedure, the surgeons were able to get a better gauge on what they were dealing with.  The surgeon felt strongly that they were dealing with a "neurocytoma," a very rare, typically benign brain tumor.  The surgeon felt confident after seeing the tumor that it was in fact benign, but the pathology report from the surgery will confirm that.  Zach is doing well, but is ready to get home to rest and get strong before his next big surgery.  Everyone's prayers, positive thoughts, energy and love have been felt by Zach and his family.  Keep it coming!  This is a marathon, not a sprint, and we will keep you updated every stride Zach makes.