Orphaned Penguin Finds a Home with Zachary
Despite being born with a rare neurodegenerative disease called Ataxia telangiectasia, 15-year-old Zachary Talley possesses both a sense of humor and a deep sense of kindness. Zachary, who uses a motorized wheelchair to get around at home and at Elkhart Memorial High School, enjoys baseball, bowling and all the activities that come with being a Boy Scout.
Hospitalized at Memorial Children’s Hospital starting Dec. 18 due to failing lungs, he has overcome three partially collapsed lungs, a tracheotomy surgery, having to breathe through a ventilator, internal bleeding and other complications, thanks in large part to the dedicated children’s hospital staff.
“Everybody has been fantastic,” says his mother Brigid. “All three doctors were fabulous. Dr. (Darley) Emenim barely left Zachary’s side the first day we arrived.” Three days into his hospital stay last December and moments before a major physical setback, Zachary was making Christmas cards by hand for his parents. “He’s just such a happy kid and he’s got a smile that never ends,” says Brigid.
That smile was on display in all its unbridled glory Feb. 13 at Memorial Children’s Hospital, thanks to the kindness of a few new-found friends. Ashley Davich-Reynolds, Emergency Care Center pharmacist, and husband Aaron Reynolds, Human Resources systems administrator, arrived at Zachary’s room with one of the largest stuffed animals you’ll ever see—a giant penguin.
The penguin ended up in the possession of Ashley via her father, Jerry Davich, a long-time newspaper columnist in Valparaiso.
Jerry writes a column in the Post-Tribune, and every year he asks people to donate to his Christmas Elf Fund. The premise is simple: people anonymously donate money—from $20 to $2,500—to be given to individuals and families who can truly use financial help during Christmastime. This past Christmas, Jerry received a rather unusual gift, in the form of an aquatic, flightless bird. Hearing about this, Ashley knew the perfect place to find a recipient for the gift: a patient at Memorial Children’s Hospital. Two months later on Feb. 13, Ashley and Aaron entered Zachary’s hospital room. His eyes were immediately drawn to the penguin.
“It brought us such joy to witness the happiness he felt in receiving the gift,” says Ashley. And the news got even better for Zachary—he was discharged five days later on Feb. 19. Thank you to Ashley, Aaron, Jerry and the outstanding staff of Memorial Children’s Hospital for all that you did for Zachary.
