A message from Zeke - July 25, 2022 – Part One:

 

To my Family, Children, Friends, Fuqua Community, Hampden-Sydney Tigers, and Prayer Warriors all over the World:

 

I’d like to tell you my story. I’d like to tell you my story because I feel a heavy burden to share it with you and to let you know just how you factor into the story.

 

On September 1, 2021, I was relieved of my coaching duties at Hampden-Sydney College. I had been in and out of the hospital for years with no answer, my body and mind continued to waste away, and I couldn’t push through anymore. I didn’t have any ill will toward the program, I finally had to accept the fact I was hurting the team. I was given chance after chance to get better and I tried, but no one could give me an answer. I continued to try and press onward being stubborn and thinking, “let’s get this fixed and I can be back before conference play.” Never in my wildest dreams did I realize I had walked off the field for the last time. As many of you who know me well, I am a simple man with a few loves in my life. I love my family, I especially love my wife, and I love Hampden-Sydney Football. With that part of my life gone, I had a very large hole to fill and I felt empty.

 

On September 22, 2021 I drove to Richmond to meet with Doctors to get the results of more tests I had taken. My wife had made me an appointment with the Liver Institute of Richmond due to the massive swelling my body was undertaking. My wife, Adrienne, couldn’t get off of work or find anyone to keep our 2-year-old daughter Charleigh, so my sister, Brooke, joined me at the appointment. As I listened to Dr. Ariwelie explain to me the diagnosis, it was as if I had an out of body experience and I was watching the scene like it was a movie. “Your liver is dying if not already dead Mr. Traylor. Without treatment and a transplant, you are looking at a year and a half maybe two years to live.” I don’t remember saying much after that, but my sister was there to ask questions. What she asked I have no clue, my mind just couldn’t stop hearing maybe two years to live. Brooke hugged me as we left and told me I handled myself well. I don’t even remember breathing on the drive home. I just couldn’t fathom that my life was coming to an end.

 

Over the next few weeks were the darkest days of my life. I hadn’t quite come clean to Adrienne regarding the severity of my sickness, I could hear the whistles and sounds of football practice from my back deck where I sat alone. I knew the practice script in my mind and I followed along as I listened. I heard the roars and cheers and good times being had at the football games right across the street and I sat alone, dying, broken. My life, Broken. My career, Broken. My friendships, Broken. My reputation, Broken. My family, Broken. My soul, Broken.

 

Broken people are not happy people, deep down inside they experience feelings of hopelessness and despair. But broken people often don’t realize the reason they feel all alone is simply themselves. I was broken, alone, and, to be frank, a real pain in the ass to be around. (Just ask my daughter Taylor, she’d be happy to go into detail ) Being broken, however, is a gift because when we are broken we recognize the NEED for a Savior to make us whole. A broken heart is one that is open to Him, that let’s in His grace.

 

I cleaned out my office on October 30th while the team was away. It was a very difficult day with a lot of tears. How do you pack up after 20 years of service? A lifetime of memories condensed to 1 meaningless box. I've always seen celebrations and well wishes when people leave Hampden-Sydney. There are parties thrown and congratulatory e-mails sent or rejoicing together in retirement. I left behind the scenes, in the dark of night, no fan fare, just alone.

 

Later that week, as I wallowed in self-pity and despair, my wife came to me as only she could. She came to me not out of anger, which she had every right to feel, not out of worry, not out of fear, but she came to me out of love. She said, “Zeke Traylor, it’s time to get up. The man I married would not have sat here waiting to die. Get up, God is not done with you!” It’s hard to write that without crying. My beautiful bride was begging me to fight for my life … and this time I listened.

 

I began studying and reading about what the fight looked like for me. In my mind, I was game planning for the biggest game ever played. I began to train my body to get ready for the fight for my life. I woke up every morning while it was still dark and did yoga and worked out on a rowing machine for hours. I went from lifting hundreds of pounds in my playing career to 10’s of pounds in my weakness, but the satisfaction was the same. Around the same time, another one of my angels Sandy Cooke started this GoFundMe page. The financial side was a blessing since I had been out of work for so long, but seeing the people, the comments, the phone calls, the texts. Seeing that people loved me and told me about the impact I had made in their life. The love shown to me by my wife, my son, my daughters, my family, my former players. The LOVE shown to me by YOU is what healed me. The doctors may have healed my body, but LOVE healed my soul.

 

I was preparing my fields and praying for rain. Unfortunately, I was recovering too well to receive a transplant. “Mr. Traylor, you are sick enough to need a liver transplant, but not sick enough to receive one.” How on God’s Green Earth does that make any sense? I was preparing my mind and body, but now I had to find a donor. I was blown away from the response of people willing to get tested to see if they were a match. The UVA transplant center received call after call asking to help Coach Traylor. Could it really be happening? Why me? Why do I deserve someone’s sacrifice God?

 

My sister had volunteered to be tested and was brought to UVA. On May 12, I met my sister in Charlottesville. She had undergone testing all that day to see if she would be a match. I met her at the hotel and we headed off to dinner. I actually made dinner reservations for the first time in over a decade and we ate only slightly more than we laughed. Oysters were flying left and right. Stories from our childhood. When it comes down to it, no one can really know me any better than my sister. She’s been my best friend since childhood and this was just another obstacle in our path, but it was the biggest we had faced by far.

message from Zeke - July 25, 2022 – Part Two:

 

I was grateful and I was at peace because of the overwhelming amount of love I felt. A lot of my “friends” disappeared, but so many unexpected others filled their shoes. I don’t want to name names out of fear of leaving anyone out that helped save my soul, but I hope I’ve contacted you and I hope you know how much you mean to me. Churches all over the country were praying for me. I received letter after letter from fellow Christians saying I was on their prayer list. My home Church, New Life, those prayer warriors were hungry for my healing. College Church and Pastor Leach were there to help meet all of our needs. The outpouring was truly divine and a gift from God.

 

Adrienne and I took Charleigh down to see my parents on our way to Myrtle Beach. We were eating BBQ after my dad got home from church and we had just pulled into town when my phone rang. It was my sister. We put her on speaker phone and she read a poem she wrote just for me. She finished by saying:

 

Just when I felt helpless and that your days were numbered and almost over

The Lord showed up and made me not only your sister, but also YOUR LIVING DONOR!!!!

 

I’m a match! We will be side by side in the OR at UVA July 4th.

The whole room celebrated. Could this really be happening? My sister loved ME so much she would go through with this for someone so undeserving like ME? I cried uncontrollably, but the date of battle had been set.

 

We were both prepped for surgery early morning July 14th. I had called my son 2 nights before, the hardest phone call of my life. I told him how much I loved him and how proud I was to have him as a son. Tyler was and is my best friend and I now needed him to be my ROCK. I asked of him 3 things: 1) I want you back in church and to walk with Christ. Tyler has so many gifts and it is too easy to get off course. 2) Please take care of your mother. I love Adrienne more than I could ever imagine. She had saved me and the chance to grow old together and be with our family was what I was fighting for. Lastly 3) The hardest. Please don't let Charleigh forget her Daddy. Adrienne and I prayed for years to have a child. Please God don't take me away from her. I said my final goodbyes, I hugged and kissed my wife, and the last thing I said was to my Dad, "Take care of my family Dad. Promise me!" I was headed into the battle for my life.

 

It was a grueling surgery that lasted 10 hours. I had spent months preparing my body and praying for rain, but it is a very delicate and risky procedure. Adrienne and the rest of my family waited for updates. My liver was removed and a portion of my sister's liver was placed in my body. The surgery was deemed a success, but a successful surgery didn't mean the liver would work. We had to wait.

 

Around midmorning on July 15th, I woke up with a breathing tube down my throat. I was happy to be alive, but not happy I could barely breath and not communicate. After begging with my emotions and hand gestures for what felt like an eternity to have the tube removed, they finally agreed to give me a pen and paper. I wrote 2 paragraphs on why the tube should be removed. The nurse said, the machine says your not ready, but anyone that can write like that is ready for this to be taken out! Thank you Rhetoric Program! They rolled me into ICU where I sat with my wife. I was hungry. I wanted a steak from my friend Bill Shumadine. Ice chips would have to do for now. I was bored so I told Adrienne and the nurse, "I'm ready to get up." The nurse said "Mr. Traylor, most people need to stay in bed for a day or two to recover after surgery. It's best to rest." I replied, "Well ma'am, I'm not most people and I've been resting for too long. I'm getting out of this bed right now." I walked probably 3 or 4 times that very day. The following day I walked over a mile. The nurses and doctors on the wing referred to me as "the Rockstar" because I had faced death, my body battled during surgery, my soul gained strength from the love of the community, and I kicked that surgeries ass!" Three days later I was released and I WALKED out the door. My liver enzymes were off the charts and I had been released sooner that any other transplant they've ever had. I got my fields ready and we as a community prayed for rain. And the Blood of Jesus Christ poured out buckets of rain all over the place. It was amazing, it was a miracle. I was finally me again after years of pain, suffering and mental fatigue. I was me and I was so incredibly grateful and humbled that God chose me to save. A diamond in the rough.

 

Just months earlier, I was a broken man and burdened with guilt and blame and shame. I was sitting at home, waiting to die. I was healed by my wife's love. Healed by the love YOU showed me through messages and donations to my website. Through a very small group of men that called me and texted me and encouraged me to fight. Through the selfless gift of my sister to sacrifice herself for her brother to live. To the amazing doctors who I placed my faith in to perform a transplant. And finally to be SAVED by GRACE and the Blood of Jesus Christ!

 

This is my story. Thanks be to God.

-Zeke

1 Corinthians 15:10