Zack

  As this year comes to an end, our hearts are full, full of gratitude, love, and deep appreciation for every single person who has stood beside us. This year has not been an easy one, but it has shown us just how surrounded we are by kindness. Whether you walked miles to raise money for GOSH, dropped off a home-cooked meal when days felt impossibly long, sent messages of support, or simply checked in when words were hard to find — every single gesture mattered more than you will ever know. During Zack’s chemo, when energy was low and emotions were high, your kindness carried us. We are eternally grateful for your friendship and love. We’ve also reached milestones that once felt impossibly far away. Zack finishing chemo. Zack turning three. Moments that, at one point, felt like distant dreams are now memories we hold close. Celebrating them has been emotional, joyful, and deeply meaningful. Ending a year since Zack’s diagnosis is complicated. There’s relief, pride, and gratitude — ...

Two years ago today, our world shifted  It was the beginning of Zack’s chemo journey a path no child should ever have to walk. We were suddenly thrown into a world of hospital rooms, results, beeping machines, and far too many medical terms. That day marked the start of something we never imagined we’d face, and yet, here we are  two years later, still standing, still fighting, still hoping. Since that day, Zack has been through more than most adults face in a lifetime. He’s lost his hair  not once, but multiple times. He’s had two ports placed to make treatments and transfusions a little easier, though there’s nothing truly “easy” about any of it. He’s braved countless hospital visits, endured painful side effects, and shown a strength that continues to leave us in awe. There were moments that brought us to our knees, reactions, fevers, setbacks, long nights with no sleep and longer days filled with waiting and worry. But through it all, Zack has remained our bright, bra...

  Finishing chemo isn’t the finish line you expect it to be. It’s a huge milestone, yes—but it also opens the door to a different kind of challenge: learning to live with the unknown. Recently, we had what they call a “follow-up scan”—the kind that checks to make sure nothing has changed since the last one. The results came back: everything has stayed the same. No new growth. That’s good news. That’s positive. Are we grateful. Truly. But here’s the thing: now we will  live scan to scan. Every few months and wait for a machine to tell me whether we get to keep moving forward—or whether we have to start fighting again. It’s hard to explain what that does to your mind. There’s a constant undercurrent of anxiety, even when things are going well. You become hyper-aware of your child's  body. Every ache, every headache, every strange sensation becomes a potential threat. And yet, alongside the fear, there’s hope—sometimes quiet and cautious, other times loud and defiant. Hope h...

Two Years Today: The Day Everything Changed Two years ago today, our world shattered. It was the kind of moment you never think will happen to you. You hear stories, you feel sympathy, but nothing prepares you for the moment a doctor looks you in the eyes and says the words: “It’s a brain tumour.” That was the day Zack’s diagnosis changed everything. The questions came rushing in before we could even catch our breath—What does this mean? What’s going to happen? Will he be okay? What does the road ahead look like? The truth was, no one had a clear answer. We were suddenly thrust into a whirlwind of appointments, scans, surgeries, treatment plans, and uncertainty. Life became about surviving the next hour, the next day, the next MRI. The road ahead was long. And it was hard. There were moments that knocked us flat—unexpected complications, sleepless nights, pain we couldn’t take away, and so many tears we lost count. We watched someone we love most face battles that no one sh...

    Two-Year Rollercoaster: My Son’s Last Chemo Appointment and What Comes Next As I sit here, watching him in that sterile hospital room for the last time for chemo,  I’m overwhelmed with emotions. Tears are falling faster than I can wipe them away, and I’m struggling to grasp what this means.  It’s been a wild ride. For the last two years, my life has been a mix of appointments, blood tests, hospital gowns, and far too many nights spent in a hospital room with the rhythmic beeping of machines as my soundtrack. The day I’ve been waiting for—my son’s last chemotherapy session—has finally arrived. It feels like both the end of a chapter and the start of a whole new book. But what comes next? What does life look like after this wild, medical rollercoaster of a ride? And, perhaps more importantly, what will our new “normal” be?  I’ve learned how to smile through exhaustion, how to comfort my son when he’s scared, and how to hide my own fear from him. I’ve held...

  The Gift of Platelets and Blood — How It Feels to Receive a Lifesaving Donation When you hear about blood or platelet donations, it’s easy to think of it as something abstract — a noble act that helps “someone out there.” But for people like Zack, those donations are far more than a good deed. They are a lifeline. Yom tov this pesach was spent in hospital receiving platelets and blood. Zack is 2 years old and has been receiving both platelet and blood transfusions as part of his treatment.  Zack has had 14 blood transfusions and 22 platelet transfusions since August 2023  It’s hard to put into words what it’s like watching your child go through this — the fatigue, the pale skin, the shortness of breath when his red blood cells are low, or the bruising and bleeding that comes when his platelet levels drop. But even more powerful is the feeling you get when, after a transfusion, life comes back into him. Color returns to his face. His energy lifts. He smiles again. Zack k...