North Texas Giving Day is coming up and we want to make sure you know where to donate! Our mission is as follows:
“Living for Zachary is dedicated to raising awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) in youth and saving lives through community education and awareness events, promoting youth heart screenings, awarding student scholarships and donating Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to youth-based organizations.”
With this, we share with you three different stories to help you understand why it is that we need your support this year!
– Where It All Began –
#1 Zac’s Story
Zachary Troy Schrah was a fun-loving young man who lived each day of his life to the fullest. Zac was born February 10, 1993 in Garland, Texas but grew up in Plano. He had a self-confident nature and a true zest for life. He enjoyed many outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, and riding four-wheelers. He also had a great love for sports like baseball and football.
On April 2, 2009, without any warning signs, Zac’s heart stopped and he collapsed from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) on the field. Zac had always been a healthy 16-year-old and had never shown any signs of heart problems. Zac had a congenital heart disease called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), a common cause of SCA in youth athletes. HCM is a condition in which the heart muscle becomes thick, making it difficult for blood to leave the heart and forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood. It also can make it harder for the heart to relax and fill with blood.
Living for Zachary gives back to the community by offering free Living for Zachary Heart Screening for ages 12-22, donating AEDs to youth based organizations, providing CPR/AED certification classes, awarding scholarships to high school seniors pursuing a medical degree, and overall raising awareness of SCA in youth.
– Our Mission At Work –
#2 Makenzie’s Success Story
#3 Camden’s Success Story
Camden Thrailkill is a 15-year-old student from Denton Guyer High School who is extremely passionate about playing football and baseball. Camden has played sports competitively since he was in middle school and has broken many records. His love and dedication to these sports has allowed him to focus on the ultimate goal of playing at the collegiate level!
Growing up, Camden has always been a very healthy kid. He received his yearly physical and attended his annual doctor visit in order to participate in school sports. He was like any other normal, healthy kid and never showed any signs of health issues. In August 2016, Living for Zachary partnered with The Heart Hospital Baylor Denton to offer free heart screenings to the Denton Guyer football team. A few days later Camden and his family found out that he had an isolated cleft of the mitral valve. None of the yearly physical exams had ever or would have ever caught this rare heart condition. “Not only was he symptom-free and always healthy, but he was born with this heart defect and it went undetected his entire life,” said his mother, Liz.
Camden received robotic arm surgery in October 2016 at The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano and was back in school three weeks later. He tried out for the high school’s baseball team in January 2017 and made the team! “My heart is never going to hold me back,” said Camden.
“I promise to make my second chance count. Count in my relationship with God. Count in my relationship with my family! Count in my academics and my athletics and I will always honor the ones who sacrificed to give me this opportunity.” -Camden