Zachary's father Byron, was born in Oklahoma City, OK and raised in Duncan, OK. His mother, Kimberly, was born and raised in Independence, MO. They say Zachary is a pretty normal little boy outside of his disease. He loves doing many things such as fishing, playing in the dirt, catching bugs, swinging on his swing set, playing with cars, bothering his little brother Shaun, and drawing, just to name a few. Zachary is very inquisitive and has to know how everything works. He loves to watch the Magic School Bus, the Crocodile Hunter, and Jurassic Park. Zachary is in the fourth grade at Deming Elementary and enjoys being with his friends. His favorite subject is music and he loves chicken nuggets for lunch.

Byron & Kim wrote the following to explain how they got involved with the Cheyenne firefighters:

We got involved with the Cheyenne firefighters in 2001, shortly after we became the MDA Cheyenne Region Goodwill Ambassador Family. We moved to Cheyenne in May of 1995 from Missouri, where I was previously stationed with the US Air Force. It wasn't until November of 1999 that we found out Zachary had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). It didn't take us long to know we did not want to just sit back, do nothing, and feel sorry for ourselves; we were going to deal with this head-on. We began reading articles, looking up information, talking to people with similar experiences, and going to conferences. It was only a few months before we were knee-deep into Muscular Dystrophy, and only a few months after that, that we attended the 2001 Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon in Casper. This is when we were asked to be the Goodwill Ambassador Family and our involvement with the firefighters hit the ground running.
It wasn't long before we began meeting firefighters from around the area, going to meetings, and getting Zachary involved as much as we could. Zachary took to the firefighters right away and vice versa. He got out and visited the fire stations, helped with the Fill-the-Boot campaign, and began to build a relationship. We also had the privilege of attending the Annual Cheyenne Firefighters Ball. Zachary absolutely loved being there, and even danced until the cows came home. He also managed to talk us into bidding on one of the fire hydrants they had for the silent auction. You guessed it; we own it now. I have to admit, it does look good in front of the house.
Zachary always has a wonderful time when he is out and about with the firefighters. They are so wonderful to him and treat him like a king. He gets to see all of the fire trucks and equipment, and just be his goofy self. At first he was pretty shy when he met new people, and still is to a point, but he is beginning to warm up to his position and open up a bit. Zachary has been able to attend MDA Summer Camp the past two years, because of the dedicated efforts and money raised by the firefighters. This is an excellent program for money raised to go toward. For one week, the children have one of the best times of their lives. They get to ride horses, swim, scuba dive, fish, ride the zip line, paint cars, and whatever else their counselors and they can think up. Basically, they get to forget all about their conditions and problems for a week and just be kids. They have no inhibitions, no homework, no chores, no..….well you get the picture. Not to mention, they get spoiled to no end. As an added bonus, we the parents get to have some time to ourselves we might not otherwise get. This gives us a chance to also "get away" and take a little break. It never fails though, we still end up missing Zachary the whole time he is gone. MDA Summer Camp is a wonderful experience for the children and something they will remember and talk about for the rest of their lives. The counselors are great and so caring, that it is just icing on the cake for the campers and parents.
Such a wonderful - and possibly once in a lifetime experience, such as summer camp, wouldn't be possible if it weren't for all of the hard work and dedication the firefighters put into raising money for MDA. Their heartwarming efforts help give Zachary and all of the children with Muscular Dystrophy a light at the end of the tunnel. Kim and I know a cure is just around the corner, and we also know the firefighters are going to do everything in their power to ensure that cure is found.

Zach's Photo Galleries

2002 Challenge Rodeo

2004 Summer Camp

2004 Firefighters Ball

2004 MDA Lockup

2004 Fill-the-Boot Kickoff

2004 Fill-the-Boot and Telethon Weekend