Wyatt is the fourth of five children in Pastor Brad and Abby Zachritz's home in sunny Florida. It's a household filled with love, passion, and faith — incredible family traits that would be suddenly put to the test one tragic April afternoon in 2014.
Unfortunately for the Zachritz family, when Wyatt was 18 months old he fell into their pool and drowned before being resuscitated close to 40 minutes later. "It was an awful accident that we have been striving for full recovery from," Abby told us when she first reached out.
Wyatt's parents made it very clear what their goals – and expectations – are for their son: A full recovery. However, to get there they recognize an insurmountable amount of hurdles lay in their way. "He cries a lot, we think it's due to a lack of ability to control his motor functions when his mind is aware," Abby explained. "If he could relax more often ... and be more involved with his siblings, life and the road to recovery would be so much easier."
Holton's Heroes strives to do its best to give the parents what they truly feel their child needs for a successful and safe recovery. In this instance, Abby and Brad desperately wanted to send their son to a facility called the Plasticity Brain Center in Orlando that approaches therapy in a nontraditional manner. Unfortunately, it is this nonconventional approach that prevents it from being covered by most insurance agencies and costs for a typical 5-day training session can easily cost thousands of dollars. Holton's Heroes was able to offer Wyatt a partial-financial grant that helped pay for the intensive therapy treatment.
The PBC claims on their site, "We specialize in re-connecting neural pathways and efficiency, through non-invasive and research-supported therapies that rebuild and improve brain function in only a matter of days. This is made possible by “neuroplasticity,” a widely-accepted scientific principle that is only available in a few advanced treatment centers. Our team of neuroscience and therapy experts provide care that is supported by two major pillars: individualized attention and evidence-based diagnostics."
We followed up with Abby recently and she told us after the therapy she noticed, "his eyes became so much more able and quicker. Even his ophthalmologist said that he is now tracking on command and his pupils are ... responding with the appropriate quickness to light."
Since his first visit, Wyatt has been back for a second time and his family hopes he can attend a third. "I think people that are looking for more than what traditional therapies offer will be incredibly pleased with the outcome," Abby told us about BPC.
All of us here at Holton's Heroes wish Wyatt and his family the best as they continue to fight for Wyatt to overcome his anoxic brain injury. If you want to learn more about Wyatt's recovery, you can follow him on Facebook here.
“I cannot thank [Holton’s Heroes] enough for helping us get to PBC! My son was able to receive treatment out of a [specialty therapy] facility because of your wonderful gift! Thank you Holton’s Heroes and all you do to help kids recover! Praying for your little man!”
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and the Zachritz family and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Holton's Heroes foundation or its members. Assumptions made in this article are not reflective of the position of anyone other than the Zachritz family — and since we are critically-thinking human beings, these views are always subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time. Please do not hold us to them in perpetuity. Basically, consult with a medical professional and use common sense before using any therapy facility or device.
Holton's Heroes became aware of young Caleb through Facebook. His mother, Jackie, was asking other parents of special needs kids if anyone knew where she could find more affordable therapy switches so she could continue the therapy he was doing at home. After hearing his story, we had to help.