Just before Zach’s senior year at Allen High School, he began to experience severe headaches which was initially diagnosed as migraine headaches. As the headaches began to increase in frequency and severity, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. After a summer of surgeries and chemotherapy, doctors encouraged Zach to get back to school. Unfortunately, his diagnosis led him to stay on the football sidelines, cheering for his Allen Eagles. Following his graduation in May 2017, Zach completed Proton radiation therapy and was able to enroll in the University of Mississippi, “Ole Miss,” to begin his college career. He loved his college life, joining the brotherhood of Pi Kappa Alpha and making friends along the way. Before Zach could complete his first year at Ole Miss, he experienced seizures and returned to Dallas Children’s Medical Center for more tests and treatment. Zach’s tumor had started to change and become much more aggressive. The once seemingly manageable diagnosis of Pilocytic Astrocytoma took a terrible turn and while the cure rate of that type of tumor is 90%, Z did not fall into the favorable odds.

Over the course of two years, Zach endured 5 brain surgeries, 6 different chemotherapy drugs and 6 weeks of Proton radiation therapy. Even with horrific side effects, Z was confident the treatment would do its job and never complained. He just viewed treatment as something he needed to do and always just said “it is what it is.”