James and Steph Tombling from Banbury are marking what would have been their son’s 7th birthday this week.

 Zach passed away in May after battling a rare genetic disorder called Menkes Syndrome and since then the family have embarked on a mission to fundraise for the Horton General Children’s Ward.

 Their son spent most of his time being cared for on the ward, which became like a second home for him and his parents. 

 They wanted to say thank you to the team that cared for Zach over the years and have been fundraising towards a colourful makeover for two rooms on the Ward where Zach spent so much of his young life.

 

The couple launched a fundraising appeal after he passed away which has already raised over £11,000 for the Horton General Hospital Charity to support the ward.

And as they mark his birthday this October 31st they have pledged to continue to support the hospital.

James explains: “We always made sure we really celebrated Zach’s birthdays because we knew one day we wouldn’t be able to – but it still feels like such a shock that we won’t be with him this Thursday.

“Although Zach was always a very poorly boy, he has bounced back from the brink of death so many times that I think we almost thought he was invincible.

“We’ve both felt apprehensive this week as his birthday approaches, but we have decided to make sure we celebrate it and remember the star that he was.

“So as a family, we will come together to both mourn and celebrate Zach, and do something positive, involving our two other children, two-year-old Rosie, and Leo who is four.

“We will remember Zach’s fantastically happy personality and the special trips we all made together to Disneyland, which he loved so much. We will celebrate who he was as a person and think about his beautiful smile – he always had the biggest smile, right up until the end. He had such an inner strength and just lit up the room.

“Although Zach was unable to walk or sit unaided, needed care 24/7 and couldn’t communicate like other children of his age, he understood so much and there was still a happy six-year-old boy inside of him. A boy who loved Mr Bean, Sean the Sheep, Disney characters and superheroes.

“So we are delighted to hear that plans for the special designs in the hospital that we are helping to fund are moving forward - it’s such a fitting way to mark his birthday this week. He would have loved it.

“The staff on the ward really went the extra mile for Zach. They were warm, welcoming, attentive and helped us to enjoy the time we had with Zach. It was a super-touching moment when a lot of the ward staff attended Zach’s funeral – and this is why we are so driven to continue to help the ward.”

“We miss Zach terribly and know this week will be especially hard, but he taught us so much and part of his legacy is us trying to do good things to help others.

“We really hope as we mark the day that our local community will support our efforts for the Horton Children’s Ward by donating to our Justgiving page.

To find out more about Zach’s story and, if possible, to donate please visit: here

Horton General Hospital Charity is part of Oxford Hospitals Charity.

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