CLICK HERE FOR “MEET ZACH.” VIDEO: IMG_1239
Meet our son Zach. And meet Kalei, our heaven-sent friend, neighbor and Maryland Cheerleader! Kalei and her gracious family are the reason Zach goes to these amazing sporting events! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts ❤️
In a few months, Zach turns 25. At 70 lbs, having endured various complex and ongoing challenges to his health, he embodies the essence of what it means to dance like no one is watching. Despite the daily challenges of being in this tiny but mighty body of his, he refuses to be contained by it.
Zach’s right foot is in a state of constant flexion (toes are pointed.) During ambulation he appears to be walking on the ball of his right foot. As a result, his right knee is always contracted. This configuration throws his right hip out of whack, causing the left side of these bilateral structures to overcompensate.
The result is an ongoing, repeated process of damage (pain) and overcompensation (pain), which is more than two decades in the making.
But you wouldn’t know it.
As a toddler Zach was diagnosed with severe bilateral Genu Varum (bowing of the legs) for which he received years of medical interventions, physical and occupational therapies and various surgical procedures. Most recently, we revisited his orthopedic diagnoses, and medical team to reconsider potential treatments. We wanted to make sure we weren’t missing any options for treatment. But we weren’t.
And from the looks of this stunning photo and demonstrative video, Zach is not missing out on anything period.
By choice.
One of the things I love about Zach is that he is literally without a sense that there is a damn thing wrong with him. Like many of us, Zach has always lived in his body. He doesn’t know another way to be.
But unlike many of us, Zach never learned to look at others with envy or resentment. He doesn’t feel or act like he deserved a healthy, pain-free body but wasn’t lucky enough to get one. He doesn’t wish his circumstances were different. He doesn’t try to be someone else. He just thrives right where he is, no complaints (plenty of perseverations though!)
And that’s what we see at this Maryland basketball game! He is literally out of his body and fully engaged in the life process. Dancing and music are two of his (and my) favorite things. He is not shy about losing himself to both.
Zach is literally life in this video! He isn’t wondering how he looks. He is not wishing his legs were “typical” so he could dance or move differently. He’s not holding back because he knows that later while sleeping, he will awake with leg cramps and arthritic pain. He’s not worried about paying for his fun later. He’s just going for it!
Zach’s been going for it for 25 years. And despite years of morbid diagnostic conclusions and future dismal predictions from every medical professional we could find in the MD-DC-VA area, I am starting to think he might just be around for 25 more.
#PROUDMOMMA