Zachary’s Story

Site created on March 2, 2021

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.

Newest Update

Journal entry by Susan & Chris Tucker

Happy New Year!!!
We are so glad to put 2021 behind us and look forward to a better, brighter and healthier new year. Its been two and a half months since we last updated Zach’s progress. So yes, its long overdue, but hopefully worth it. I thought about doing this around Halloween but he was still dealing with some scary issues. Thanksgiving was an option as we are truly thankful for every doctor, nurse, friend, family and prayer that have helped Zach reach this milestone but “Turkey Coma” is a real thing and it just wasn’t meant to be. On Christmas we counted our blessings and thanked God for the gift of his son and Zach’s renewed life, his healthy donor heart and the brave family who made this gift possible. 

So now, here we are, 10 months since this journey began and 9 months out from his new heart. His leg incisions from ECMO and all the lymphatic drainage that led to infections and 4 surgeries/hospitalizations since he was discharged from the hospital in May have finally closed up, dried up and healed. The last wound closed completely just 2 weeks ago.  Dr Peltz, his transplant surgeon who has also done much of his other vascular surgery since then, said he’s had one of the hardest post op recoveries he’s seen. If its true that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger then Zach has a Herculean spirit. 

Overall he is doing well. He is still regaining the weight he lost during hospitalization but we’re ok with it being a work in progress. Better that they are healthy pounds instead of love pounds from us over feeding him. His kidney function has pretty much plateaued at a stage 3-4 but we’re hoping that now that his wounds have healed he’ll be able to change some of his anti-rejection meds to versions that are more renal sparing and those numbers will improve. The 4 times per day medication schedule Is becoming more routine. Of course the meds all make him more susceptible to infection. His COVID vaccination protocol has included 3 doses of the Pfizer and he tested positive for antibodies to COVID 2 weeks ago. Good thing because two of his friends (vaccinated) tested positive for Omicron 3 days after having dinner and watching a movie with him. So far he has a headache, malaise, no fever and normal O2 sats. I asked about smell but he said he just showered so I let that be. 


If all goes well, we have a trip to Disney World planned for later this month. We are taking all the appropriate precautions and then some. We have multilayered contingency plans. I think its all going to be fine, my family’s earned this one. 



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