Supporting Zack Downs

Zack has been a 33-year-old healthy, active father, amazing husband, and peewee flag football coach. He is the main provider for his wife and 3 children: son Blake, 5, and daughters Presley, 7, and Riley, 13.

On December 29th, life as they knew it changed. After experiencing excruciating pain, Zack went to the ER to find out he was in metabolic acidosis and stage five renal failure. What likely started in the womb, took 33 years, but his kidneys have finally reached the end of their lifespan. He was told he was only hours from slipping into unconsciousness. He was immediately put on emergency dialysis and will be on dialysis three times a week until he is able to receive a kidney transplant. In the blink of an eye, life changed for this, happy, healthy, active family of five.

From day one, he was told by his boss at a local property management company how much they cared about him and would help him as much as they could. At the end of his nine-day hospital stay, where he fought for stabilization, his employer assured him they would work with him. Zack’s only concern has been being able to continue to care for his family. Only two weeks after this terrible diagnosis, they welcomed him back into the office the morning of Thursday, January 12, 2023, where his boss was waiting to shockingly say welcome back, glad you’re alive, but we think dialysis will affect your job performance and have to let you go. Zack was defeated and devastated.

The next day, he was admitted to Sacred Heart for a blood transfusion and is currently at Bay Medical to undergo heart surgery to remove fluid from his heart with his wife by his side.

Yet still, he is just focused on how he can continue to support his family going forward as their income has just been abruptly stopped. This family doesn’t have time to try to find a lawyer to fight the evil discrimination of his employer. They need help now!

Please share this campaign and we thank you for supporting this precious family in this challenging time.