We are back in the hospital at the U of M children’s….. Its seem to be a weekly visit the last 3 months. Zachary’s kidney is doing AWESOME! Its just all of these little bumps in the road… Zachary’s immune system is very suppressed so he keeps getting lots of infections… Overall, he is doing AMAZING!!!! Thank you Angel Donor for save our Son!!
Please also follow Zachary’s story on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Zachary-Elsenpeter/127121614002476
This is Zachary’s Story… UPDATE.. ZACHARY RECEIVED HIS 2ND KIDNEY TRANSPLANT JAN 18,2012!! God Bless his Donor!!! We were involved in the kidney paired-exchange program. I, his mommy donated a kidney to a complete stranger and my son received the gift of LIFE!!! It was an 8 way exchange and everybody in the exchange is doing AWESOME!! I want to thank the hundreds of people that were tested to save my son…. Thank you !!!!
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 prorated, 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 Plamsapheresis, 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!
Thank you all for following Zachary’s Journey! PLEASE keep spreading the word of organ donation in honor of one AMAZING little boy ! Zachary!
Zach is to sick and they want this bug gone for good before a Port goes in 
Please pray for him.. Even the Drs are worried, because they said this bug is most likely hiding out in Zachary’s new kidney and right now his kidney is sick 