Zach MacDonald

In November 2010, just two days after his second birthday, Zach MacDonald’s health took a sudden and alarming turn. His parents, Carley and Jeff, noticed that Zach had developed a fever and was vomiting after waking up from a nap. Initially, they thought it was a regular illness, but when he woke up the next morning with what appeared to be purple bruises all over his body, they rushed him to the emergency department. Doctors suspected a blood infection and sent them home with antibiotics. However, Zach’s condition worsened, and by evening, they returned to the local hospital, where it was determined that he needed immediate transport to the nearest children’s hospital.

Initially, a ground ambulance was considered, but the on-call doctor soon determined that STARS was necessary to get him to the specialized care he needed quickly. Carley, a 911 dispatcher familiar with the protocols, knew the gravity of the situation as she watched the helicopter take off with her son.

When Zach got to the hospital, he was “grey and lifeless,” she says.

The nurses advised that he probably had only an hour to live. Diagnosed with a serious infection, Zach was isolated. After spending seven days in intensive care undergoing treatment and testing, he left the hospital with a clean bill of health.

Today, Zach is a bright and active young man. He has a passion for baseball and is currently playing U-18 AAA. He is also preparing to attend a specialized baseball school for the next two years, aiming to further his sports career.

“My main hobbies are sports and school right now,” Zach says. “Baseball pretty much centres around everything I do. I’m very focused on it and school.”

Despite the ordeal, Zach has no residual fallout from the infection.

“There’s no other way really to describe it. Just a huge thank you,” Zach says when asked about the support from the community that made STARS’s role in his recovery possible.

His mom echoes this gratitude, saying,