Zach...

The day our son Zach was born was...well a huge celebration.

Obviously.  Sure, parents celebrate the birth of their children but for us, it was extra special.

Before Zach was born, we had a daughter, Miranda Grace, who died in my arms 15 hours after she was born due to underdeveloped lungs after a complicated pregnancy and bed rest for 2.5 months.

We tried again to have a child and had a miscarriage.

So we picked ourselves up and tried another time. On April 3, 2004, Zachary Dean Hofen entered the world...began crying...

and he hasn't stopped making noise since. :)

We were so very happy. Life was good.

Like most parents, we wondered what Zach would become...

achieve...

and dream of.

What would his dreams lead him to become...

Would he be ornery....

And if so, would we be able to catch him at it....

 

Maybe he would be a water boy....

Or a pilot....

Or perhaps he would be a famous jet ski dude...

Professional fall leaf taster?...

Santa's co-pilot?...

We had no idea but the one thing we knew was whatever Zach chose to be, we would always be there, holding his hands, and encouraging him every step.

But the one role he never saw coming, was the role of big brother.

This new little guy certainly rocked his world...what was with this new "sharing my parents" thing? 

What happened to "all eyes on me because I'm so cute" way of life?

And what was with all the crying, stinky diapers, and noise at all hours of the day?

This brother thing seemed a little "sketchy" but Zach earned the title of "Best Big Brother" quickly.

And then his baby brother, Braden, got cancer. 

And Zach became a very grown up 4 year old overnight. His family was split into two locations, mom and Braden lived at the hospital and dad and Zach lived at home....

for over a year. 

Zach visited the hospital and we played. But it wasn't the same as living together.

Everyone's world changed overnight with that diagnosis. And Braden has been fighting cancer continuously for 6.5 years

And mom got cancer too so both his mom and brother fought cancer together.

Zach's live changed once again...and he became more and more aware that life isn't a guarantee.

He had to learn lessons of life and death, fear and uncertainty, and brutal realities no one should have to deal with before the age of 7.

He also learned how awesome people are and how kind they can be in your darkest hour.

He learned about God and His grace and mercy.

And he learned about courage, fight, and HOPE!

Zach continued to grow older while continuing to have a heart of kindness and love.

And he became a Chef...

A candle blower-outer...

A giver of smiles...

A patient brother...

An explorer...

A comedian...

Handsome....

Sweet....

An artist...

A friend...

A military hopeful...

A wrestler...

A drummer and trombone player...

A great snowball target...

And three months ago, at the age of 10, he became a bone marrow donor.    

                                                     

To try to save his little brother's life.

There was no other match in the entire world. Zach was the only one...and he was a perfect match.

Without Zach's bone marrow donation, Braden would have died in a very short time.

So Zach went through surgery to have his bone marrow extracted and then transfused into his brother.

Knowing full well that his cells could save Braden's life...

....or they might not.

That's a lot for a ten year old to carry on his shoulders.

After his cells were blessed by the Pastor in the room, Zach said, "Mom, this wasn't much fun but I would do it again."

And as the nurse transfused Zach's cells into Braden's body, the tubing miraculously formed the shape of a heart...

Zach didn't just donate his bone marrow.

He donated his love...

and brotherly HOPE.

Zach is a pretty amazing boy and I am blessed to be his mom.

I thank God for this little boy every single day.

And I learn from him....every single day.

I learn what LOVE really means.

I learn what HOPE really means.

And I learn that DREAMS take many different forms. 

It's not just about what title you will be called...what caption will be on your pictures.

It's about what caption your heart wields. 

What your heart shows the world about how to live life by putting other's before yourself....about taking risks to try to save others.

Zach is eleven now. 

I wonder how many more powerful lesson this young man has to teach me in the next 11.

I can't wait to find out.

We love you Zach!