Smiling Zachary is a fighter: Meet the first of 6 Little Hearts Big Smiles Fun Day 5K team captains

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Editor’s Note: This is the first of six daily profiles of this year’s team captains for the annual Little Hearts Big Smiles Fun Day 5K set for Saturday, May 19.

Zachary Wyatt Jewell is the son of Austin and Holley Jewell and loving brother of Ealynn and Connor.

He was born at just 34 weeks gestation. After being diagnosed in utero with Gastroschisis, his mother’s water broke at 28 weeks.

Zachary was born into this world fighting.

Gastroschisis is a birth defect, affecting one in 2,000 births. It is an abdominal wall defect that allows internal organs to protrude through the abdominal wall.

Immediately after birth, Zachary was transported to Cincinnati Children’s and remained in the hospital for 18 days.

At nearly a year old, he was diagnosed with a Cortical Visual Impairment, a visual disorder that stems from a brain injury. An MRI showed he had sustained loss of oxygenated blood flow in utero. This injury also caused spastic Cerebral Palsy.

Even with everything that he has endured, Zachary remains happy and is constantly smiling — just look at those blue eyes.

Those that know him are captivated by his smile, and those that don’t know him, cannot help but to fall in love.

Zachary is loved by his family, and loved by his community. Even though Zachary cannot talk quite yet, he shows his love without words because love needs no words!

Show your support for Zachary by joining his team today at https://goo.gl/forms/WzJ56azDhBZUDjgg2 .

All proceeds from this event will go to benefit Phase 4 of the Little Hearts Big Smiles Playground. Phase 4 includes the addition of handi-accesible restrooms for children and families.

To find out more about the 5K and for more information about Little Heart Smiles Big Smiles, visit www.littleheartsbigsmiles.org or find them on Facebook.

Zachary puts the “Big Smiles” in Little Hearts Big Smiles, and he’ll captain a team on May 19.
http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2018/05/web1_Zach.jpgZachary puts the “Big Smiles” in Little Hearts Big Smiles, and he’ll captain a team on May 19. Courtesy photo

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