A good friend of mine from Obagi Medical Products, brought this story to my attention which touched the girls at BSW and we had to speak out. Children are our future, our hearts, our souls…their innocence is what makes the light in our hearts shine…
Meet Zachary Cannon…
Zachary Cannon diagnosed with DiGeorge Syndrome at birth
He was born with DiGeorge Syndrome, a rare congenital disease (present at birth) with symptoms that greatly vary between individuals, but commonly include a history of recurrent infections, heart defects, and characteristic facial features. Many babies born with DiGeorge Syndrome don’t live past 1 year. At just 9 days old, Zachary under went heart surgery so he could continue to breathe properly, feed and not suffocate to death. Imagine being Tricia Cannon, a first time mother and having to cope with all of this…As we carry our little miracle of life for 9 months, we only think about “will I be a good mother, what will my baby look like, will he like me, but most importantly…will he be healthy...”
Unfortunately, for Tricia…this would not be the case. Zachary finally left the hospital with calcium (to be taken 4x’s a day), medicine to keep the calcium in his bones, medicine for his immune system, and medicine for acid reflux. He had larynxgomalacia, Gerd, immune deficiency disorder, low muscle tone, ASD (a hole in his heart), plus many others…Zachary’s vocal chords were so swollen that he spit up out of his nose instead of his mouth. At night, Tricia slept on the couch next to Zachary’s bassinet ready to suction out his nose so he wouldn’t choke to death. Not exactly a picture perfect life for the Cannon Family.
Over the next 5 years or so, Zachary will have many surgeries to correct his facial deformities, he can’t attend school, be around other children, or have any immunizations…He can only eat baby food and has been hospitalized 3 times for Pneumonia. Children with DiGeorge Syndrome have a high percentage for mental retardation and autism. The list goes on…
After Zachary was 8 months old, Tricia got divorced and last May her child support stopped! Only able to work 30 hours a week (due to Zachary legally being with other people coming in to watch him), Tricia could no longer keep up her mortgage and lost her house. She was forced to move in with her mother with no room for Zachary to play or keep his things…being that he can not run around or play with other kids, it was Tricia’s wish to build an extra room just for Zachary…here he could be a kid and run around without getting ill. This would mean the world to little Zachary to feel like a normal kid in his own play area…Make a Wish Foundation will not do anything that requires a permit. Tricia strongly believes that this room will help her son to have a place of his own to do his school work & play time.
Zachary Cannon is a happy little boy and loves to dance to Carrie Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova,” from her Christmas Special 2009. Although he is still unstable on his feet, nothing brings more joy to this strong and determined mother than to see Zachary dancing like one of Carrie’s dancers…
Tricia and Zachary Cannon
Please reach deep into your pockets, take that extra $5 or $10 and donate it to Zachary Cannon’s Wish Fund…at: Wescom aba # 322079353 acct# 891841101. (your donation is a tax write off and imagine the smile you will be putting on Zachary’s face:))
Help Tricia build Zachary’s dream room…for more info on Zachary please visit: Zachary Cannon
You can also contact Tricia Cannon at 909-868-8076.
Thanks for your time…
the girls at BSW
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