On September 16th, our family was notified by the Chicago Police Department that Zachary was involved in a severe accident on his college campus. He was reported by BNSF railways in Galesburg, IL with no identification, shirt or shoes. The only way to identify Zach was by his fraternity tattoo.
Zachary was unconscious and unresponsive. He suffered a broken nose, a fractured orbital on the right of his face as well as a severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). He is currently in a coma and has undergone a Craniotomy to relieve brain swelling. The cause is currently under investigation.
Our parents have been with him at the hospital since he started receiving care at St. Francis Hospital in Peoria, IL. Zachary has undergone multiple operations in order to keep him stable. While he has slowly progressed, doctors are unsure whether he will continue to improve and break out of his coma.
Zachary is one of the four siblings in his family and recently graduated from Knox College with a degree in Fine Arts specializing in Studio Art. Prior to his graduation, he showed a collection of his best work in a gallery opening on campus. He also built an impressive sculpture on campus as a gift to a deceased Knox alumna.
While studying at Knox College, he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, Delta Chapter. There, he served as President (Prytanis) and represented his chapter at the 2011 Conclave in San Antonio, TX.
Zachary has been assisting the art faculty at Knox College and building his painting portfolio through their Post-baccalaureate program. His plans are to attend graduate school for painting.
From a young age, Zachary has been determined and disciplined in everything that he puts his energy into. From his years of wrestling at the high school and college level to his continuing desire and exploration in art. We believe that Zach will fight and come out of his coma soon.
We ask for the kindness in your hearts to help Zachary and our family though this difficult time.
