I think I have the most determined little boy that WANTS to Live LIFE to the fullest!
His labs yesterday were awful! His BUN is back in the hundreds and the rest are not so great either…
This morning Zachary woke up and finished his home work for school. Then he stumbled out of bed holding his head not able to walk in a straight line. He brushed his teeth and started to puke in the sink. Zachary then laid on the bathroom floor .
I picked him up and asked if he wanted to stay home… His answer was No! Zachary LOVES school!….. and just pushes him self so much… I am not sure if he is going to make it through the whole day, but he is such a little FIGHTER! Anybody with a BUN that high would be hiding under there covers.
When you are in kidney failure you feel like you have the Flu 24/7… So when you have the flu and your home sick puking laying in bed. That is how Zachary feels everyday. With a SMILE still on his face…… I know GOD is working through him. I can see it everyday with that smile and his determination to live LIFE!

(BUN) A blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test measures the amount of nitrogen in your blood that comes from the waste product urea. Urea is made when protein is broken down in your body. Urea is made in the liver and passed out of your body in the urine.

So what that means is Zachary’s body is full of toxins that he is unable to get rid of. A normal BUN for a child is 5-18 and Zachary is a 100.

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers,

We are back on Zachary’s site…..

I want to sincerely thank KDWB!! This morning I was brought to tears….Many tears….. and I am still crying. There are so many AMAZING people in our lives. Our family was chosen as a KDWB wish family… Jill and Jeremy Hettwer you both have a HUGE heart and thank you for making our financial worries disappear this holiday season. I LOVE you both! Zachary and Austin are down stairs LOVING there Nintendo DSI 3D’s! Thank you KDWB for helping spread Zachary’s story and making our lives much easier this holiday season!

This is Zachary’s Story…

Zachary was born December 17, 2003. We had infertility for Years and were so blessed to have another Child. Zachary came into this world with a fight! We had no clue that he was born in kidney failure until he was 2 weeks old. We even took him home on Christmas Eve. As we walked through the Door the phone rang, it was Mercy hospital. The Doctor said that one of the state test that they do on all newborns came back positive for a rare hidden disease called “CAH”. The Doctor told us that we needed to come back to the hospital for more test. I just remember my heart sinking, so i grab the computer and started doing research before we headed back to the hospital.

Zachary’s labs came back that his sodium was very low and his potassium was very high. They stated Zachary on high dose steroids and sodium supplements. We brought Zachary in for labs everyday for a whole week. On New Years Eve Zachary’s labs were critical. The Doctors said that Zachary was very sick and he needed to be admitted to Children’s hospital in Minneapolis. We were so scared and didn’t know what was going on with our baby boy. That night the Doctors ran many test. My poor baby boy had an IV in, NJ tube down his nose and a catheter to drain his urine. “Zachary was only 2 weeks old”. I just remember holding him crying and being so scared.

On New Years Eve , when you are suppose to be celebrating the New Year. We were holding our child as the Doctors came in and told us that Zachary was a very sick and was in kidney failure. That he would need a kidney transplant to save his life.. Zachary was not positive for CAH, but with out this test, the doctors would of not done further testing and Zachary would of died at home in his sleep. That night Wade and I sat up and cried not knowing what the future would hold. Our baby boy was very sick, we felt a lone and didn’t think that this could happen to a baby.

The 1st year was touch and go. Zachary had many hospital stays, surgeries, infections, blood transfusions. It was a big struggle to get him to 17 lbs, so he could receive his daddy’s Kidney.

On December 1,2004, when Zachary was only 11 months old My husband, Zachary’s daddy gave him another chance at life. Zachary had many complications that 1st month. His ureter disconnected form the kidney and Zachary became very sick. They had to reopen Zachary to reattach the ureter. All i remember that 1st month was going back and forth to his room, then to the Operating room, back to his room then the the OR again and again. It was a long month of many tears and sleepless nights. Zachary was a fighter and fought hard, he had many surgeries, complications and infections.

Over the last 7 years Zachary has had over 40 surgeries, multiple infections and countless hospital stays. Zachary has a J-tube for feeds, because during his 2nd attempt to redo a Nissenfundelplacation his stomach perforated, and he became very sick. Zachary has a Mitrofanoff which we catheterize him through his belly button to get his urine out. Zach also has a M/ACE which use for bowel flushes. With all these struggles you would think that Zachary is a sick boy. He is on the inside, but on the outside Zachary runs and plays like any other 7 year old. He has the will to fight and to LIVE! He has many friends, rides his bike and even has a little sassy mouth on him some times. Lol “which I love”…

Oct 2009, our lives would change again. Zachary became very sick and was rejecting the kidney. He went into 3 types of rejection.
~Acute
~Antibody
~Chronic
Zachary had 7 treatments of Plasmapheresis, IVIG and high dose steroids. The treatment was very hard on Zachary. The rejection was stopped, but his kidney and body took a beating. Zachary built up very high antibodies leaving less then a 3 % chance of finding another kidney. We have done 3 news story, Facebook, news paper articles and are now thinking about doing a Billboard. There have been over 800 people that have called in to be tested for Zachary and we still have no match. It’s very hard as a parent to watch your child sick and struggle every day. Zachary still goes to school and tired so hard to live life. He is alway very tired and pukes a lot. He has a younger brother who is his best friend and keeps him going. and of course i can’t forget his amazing old sister that has a heart of gold. She is always right beside me reading research about the kidney. She even wrote a story in her school news paper about Zachary.

I know this journey will have a happy ending either with Zachary here with us on earth, or if he is wrapped in Jesus arms. I know that there is always a plan, and for now Zachary’s plan is for us to spread the word about organ donation. Zachary’s story has touched so many lives, there have been people that didn’t match Zachary that had it in there heart and gave the gift of life to others. You are all AMAZING!

Over 800 Amazing People tested & no match . If you are interested in saving my 7 yr old son: If you are A or O Blood call (612) 672-7270 (Local #) 1-800-328-5465 Zachary has only a 3% chance of finding a HERO!

Thank you all for following Zachary’s Journey! PLEASE keep spreading the word of organ donation in honor of one AMAZING little boy ! Zachary!

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers,

THIS IS ZACHARY’S STORY .. PLEASE WATCH

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=9bcb96c44c02c06c515acf&skin_id=701&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url
Love,
The Elsenpeter Family

Sorry for the late update..

Zachary is home and doing AWESOME!! He started school on time and is LOVING IT!

He had physical therapy at Kenny Kids today. They said he is a Strong, coordinated, flexible, loose little boy. The therapist was shocked with all he has been through and how active he is… Zachary is a Spit fire! The goal is to strengthen up his ankles and hips in hope to improve the stability in his feet. Zachary also made it to school after his hard work out. I was worried that he would be to tired and not make it. Boy, did he prove me wrong…… He is feeling good, just very tired.
Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers,

FOLLOW ZACHARY ON FACE BOOK

I update almost daily.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Zachary-Elsenpeter/127121614002476

Wow, Its been a while since i have updated on Zachary’s site… He also has a facebook page that i update almost daily.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Zachary-Elsenpeter/127121614002476

Zachary is back in the hospital with another infection in his urine. He had surgery on Monday to repair his mitrofanoff and ACE. Surgery went get ! Then on Wednesday he spiked a fever. I brought his to children’s n MLPS , because that is were we had the surgery…. His primary care is at the U OF M… Children ambulance him to the U of M , Because he is a Kidney Transplant child.. Yea, lots of confusion… Long story short… One of the U of M Drs. told me to take him to children’s, because that is where he had his surgery and they needed to follow up with the fever..  We are at the U of M just waiting on urine cultures to come back , to see what Zachary can go home on for an antibioctics. So far he is growing a Nasty Bug! He is on 2 different IV antibiotics for now.

Overall, Zachary is doing great!

If you are interested in saving Zachary’s life: If you are A or O Blood call (612) 672-7270 (Local
1-800-328-5465 Zachary has only a 3% chance of finding a Kidney! The reason why it is so hard to find a kidney for Zachary is because he went into antibody rejection and he built up very high antibodies and now has a PRA that is 97.. Leaving less then a 3% chance of finding a Kidney.. He went into the worst rejection that you could.. It was very hard on him, he had 7 treatments of Plasmapheresis , IVIG and high dose steroids.. The rejection was stopped, but he is losing Kidney function everyday.. Zachary will evenly need to start Hemo Dialysis soon.. They are unable to do PD dialysis because he has had over 40 surgeries in his abdominal area… Zachary is a Fighter and is always trying to live Life everyday even living in Kidney Failure..

Sorry for no up-date..

Zachary is back in the hospital.. We came in on Sunday morning with a high fever and puking unstop. He has been on IV fluids and IV antibiotics for the last 5 days. They just switched out his G-J tube, because his was clogged. He is feeling much better  today and hopefully we will go home today or tomorrow…  Zachary’s kidney is still functioning , but very poor. He is on over 30 meds and 5 blood pressures meds to keep him going. Please pass on his website and Facebook page to help us find another Kidney. He has less then a 3% chance of finding another kidney, because his antibodies are so high. Overall, he is trying very hard to live life like a 1st graded. He goes to school, rides his bike and is a nutty little boy …

Facebook

“Save Zachary Elsenpeter”

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers,

this is a new video that i made of Zachary’s journey

Stacey

Mother of Zachary