Family gifts toys in boy’s honor

When Robert and Katie Zadak found out their son, Nick, would have a break from chemotherapy treatment, they knew exactly what to do with the free time.

First, they told Nick’s doctors. Then they called a friend, who is a travel agent, and arranged logistics. Then they grabbed Nick and their daughter, Anna, hopped in the car and started the nearly seven-hour drive from Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif., to Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. Over a three-day stay at the theme park last year, Nick was all smiles. He rode “It’s a Small World” each day. He ate breakfast with Disney characters, including Daisy Duck, his favorite. Those are a couple of the moments that made Nick’s life full, even though he died at age 4 from pediatric liver cancer in February.

“As horrible as it was, we were happy that we got to do everything with him that we did,” Katie said.

Nick’s parents, who live in Vancouver, planned and executed a bucket list of about six things before he died. There was Nick’s first day of kindergarten, where the Tukes Valley school system sent a bus to his house just for him. A teacher stayed after school to teach him for a couple hours. And there was the tour of Washington University’s Husky Stadium, where Nick played on the field. That was an important moment for Robert, a UW alum. And there was the time Nick rode around in the cabin of a construction truck screaming with joy while it plowed dirt at the Clark County Fairgrounds. And who could forget the packed 36 hours when Nick watched his younger sister Anna’s baptism, then received a blood transfusion and then saw local firefighters and fire trucks visit him at the hospital? Since Nick’s death, Robert, 36, and Katie, 35, have used distractions to power past grief. They have Anna, their “favorite distraction.” Robert, who’s in the National Guard, joined a rock climbing gym. And Katie, who manages a local Wal-Mart, did a blood drive on Nick’s birthday this year to stay distracted. But sadness still creeps in.

“A lot of times I want to turn all the lights off and just sleep,” she said. “If I could, I would because it’s easier to wall yourself off, but we have to kind of force ourselves to keep going.”

For Christmas, the Zadaks focused their energy on a toy drive in Nick’s honor that took place Dec. 20 at Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland, where more than 500 toys were delivered. Their ultimate goal is to create “Catching Kindness,” a non-profit that would assist families financially and logistically while they help a loved one battle cancer.

“We want to raise enough to help families who are at the end-of-life portion to help pay for their rent or mortgage for a couple months so they can be with their kid like we were able to do,” Katie said.

The Zadaks were hit with their own challenging set of circumstances when Nick was diagnosed with cancer at age 2. It started with a pesky cold that stuck around. A doctor thought it was just hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Then one night Robert noticed Nick was sleeping on his back, which was different than his usual stomach position. And then Robert felt a hard spot on Nick’s stomach. And the Zadaks hoped maybe it was just stomach trouble, but after tests they discovered it was cancer. Days after the diagnosis, Nick started chemotherapy. And then two weeks later, with his tumor shrinking from treatment, they received another scare when the tumor ruptured and caused an internal hemorrhage. Nick’s eyes rolled back in his head. His blood pressure dropped. He went into emergency surgery at Randall. The Zadaks were told to call family and bring them in. A chaplain came, too.

“He was basically dying right in front of us,” Katie said. “And (the doctors) worked for six hours to save him. It was amazing. We watched every minute of it. It was like ‘ER,’ but with real life, and it’s your kid.”

Nick initially stayed in the hospital for 38 consecutive days. And Katie birthed Anna on day 31. Family members stayed in their house and took care of their dogs. Friends and family brought them home-cooked food. Robert and Katie tried to make Nick’s life as enjoyable as possible. Since Nick was extremely susceptible to disease, Robert would scout for empty playgrounds with Nick and the pair would pounce whenever they found one. They’d leave immediately when another kid showed up. The family got used to picnicking outside or eating at restaurant patios during slow hours. They’d find secluded beaches in California — Nick became a “beach bum.” The Zadaks estimated they spent about 250 days in California one year. Nick never complained. He just thought it was his life. He made “nursey friends” at the hospital, and always lit up the room with his smile and signature green glasses.

While Nick only lived four years, his presence is still felt. A couple marathoners heard Nick’s story and ran in his honor. One Nevada runner even sent a medal to Nick before he died. Robert, who once carried Nick in a backpack through Yosemite National Park, now hikes with Anna. Robert feels connected to Nick on his runs through Camas Cemetery, where he’ll pause at Nick’s grave to reflect. Anna, whom Katie describes as tough, used to get dragged around by Nick on his Red Ryder tricycle for fun. Now she kisses his picture good night.

“Some days it’s painful to reach out for that connection because it hurts so much,” Katie said. “Then other days it’s like I couldn’t survive without it. It’s definitely real and it’s there.”