Zach - Soldotna

Zach has always been an extremely active kid. He plays football and basketball at Kenai Central High School. I noticed that he was taking more naps than usual and that he was becoming very pale. The next week, my husband took him to our primary physician to get blood work done. I knew from the moment I noticed his paleness, that something was extremely wrong.

He went in for blood work on a Tuesday and on Wednesday night (the day before Thanksgiving) our family doctor called and said, "it doesn't look good". His bloodwork was very abnormal. The next day we celebrated Thanksgiving as usual and Friday we got another call from him telling us that the pediatric oncologists would like to see us right away.  Zach left his home, his brother, his pets, and his normal world as he knew it that Sunday.  I knew we would not be home any time soon and was blessed with the notion to pack his pillow and blanket and some other "comforts of home". Monday we met with one of the oncologists, and we had his bone marrow biopsy on Wednesday.  I remember telling our sedation nurse in a loving way that she seemed to understand, "I hope I never see you again".  Unfortunately, we see her often.  Zach was diagnosed with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on 11/30/2022. Zach was set to be a starter on his Junior Varsity basketball team this season…a game he had been practicing and conditioning for just 1 week before his diagnosis. He was already being groomed for one of next year's top defensive back and running back positions on his football team. On December 1, 2022, he entered Providence Alaska Children's Hospital to spend the next 32 days receiving inpatient chemotherapy. Zach was released from the Induction Phase of his treatment just after the new year on Jan 3, 2023. He was able to spend 5 glorious days at home with his brother Luke, his dogs Bailey and Gracie, and see some friends.  Zach is currently finishing his first month of the Consolidation phase.  He is so incredibly strong and is moving through treatment like a champ. We have a fantastic support system from our schools and community. We are blessed as his parents to be able to always have one of us with him. While one of us is home in Soldotna with Zach's brother Luke, the other can be with Zach at all his treatments in Anchorage over 100 miles away. We are unbelievably blessed with the oncology staff we have.  This journey would be unbearable without the peace and provision God has given us with amazing nurses and doctors.  

Thank you for becoming part of Zach's journey.