Brick Paver Reads: In Memory of Zach McGinnis – 9/13/04 – 9/24/05
Testimonial from Mark McGinnis
We purchased the brick in memory of our son, Zachary McGinnis. Zach was born at Fremont Memorial Hospital on September 13, 2004 and died at Memorial Hospital on September 24, 2005. He and his sister Eva were both born with a rare genetic disorder called alpha mannosidosis. It is a genetic disease in which the body does not produce a necessary enzyme required to break down sugar molecules in the body's cells. Without the enzyme, individuals suffer from a weakened immune system, mental retardation, bone deformation, loss of hearing and mobility, and eventually a premature death. At the time of Zach's birth, Eva was in Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital recovering from her stem cell transplant, the only treatment for alpha mannosidosis. When Zach was just a few days old, we knew he would also need a bone marrow transplant.
While Eva encountered many complications following her transplant, Zach's transplant went much more smoothly. He was only in the hospital a month for his transplant while Eva endured four months of hospitalization plus many subsequent stays. When Zach did so well with his transplant, we were thrilled. We thought the worst was finally behind us. On September 24, 2005 we woke up and went about our day like a typical Saturday. Zach seemed fine. After his nap, he was throwing up and had a high fever. Zach's father, Mark, took him to Fremont Memorial Hospital to have him treated before driving to Cleveland for admission to Rainbow Babies. Zach never made it that far. He died that night from a pseudomonas infection. Since his immune system was so weak, he was susceptible to the bacteria that would not have affected a healthy person.
We bought a brick in Zach's memory because we do not want the world to forget him. We want to leave lasting reminders of Zach's life wherever we can. Zach only lived a year, and during that time we had to stay away from others to keep Eva from getting sick. Therefore, only our closest family and friends were able to spend time with Zach. He was a beautiful, loving child who rarely cried despite the difficult circumstances we faced every day. He had gorgeous blue eyes and an infectious laugh. Zach loved balls and books, and adored spending time with his big sister Eva.
We can never forget Zach, and we do not want to. Therefore, we take every opportunity to do good by donating money to charities in Zach's name to honor his short but meaningful life. The brick is another way to remember Zach and to make sure the rest of the world remembers him too. When we see or hear Zach's name, we know that he is not forgotten.