Image Description: Zach Rushing wore an eye patch most of his life.

The Story of Zach Rushing

Zach Rushing loved Tae Kwon Do, basketball, playing video games like World of Warcraft, his dog, Cooper, and helping others. He was born with a lymphangioma, a cystic tumor, affecting his left eye which would appear swollen. As a result, his childhood was filled with multiple surgeries. An only child, Zach’s mom, Bobbie, took her son to Atlanta, New York, Boston, Arkansas, and Jacksonville so they could work with the best medical teams to help Zach’s condition.

Because of his condition, Zach was often quiet and shy. Kids would ask him about his eye, so he eventually began covering it with his hair. As he grew older, his mom convinced him to wear an eye patch. This boosted his confidence. A friendly kid, Zach would talk to and help anyone. During one of his surgery trips to New York, Zach kept giving money to people on the streets. His mom had to tell him that they couldn’t give money to every single person asking. Zach just loved helping people! As an adult, Zach volunteered at his church once a week and would bag groceries for people in need.

Zach passed away at age twenty and became a tissue donor through the Lion’s Eye Institute. His mother said: "It’s a good feeling knowing that part of him is out there still helping others because it’s what he loved to do."

Image Description: Before wearing an eye patch, Zach would cover his left eye with his hair.

“Even though it’s a tough situation, the process of saying “yes” to donation is easy. Anybody can say “yes”, you are not taking your organs with you when you pass away. Zach would have encouraged people to do the same, to help somebody. If somebody else could have helped Zach with his eye condition, for example, it would have made a huge difference. This was his way of helping somebody in need. He understood this. If you can turn a negative situation into a positive one, why would you not?” - Bobbie Rushing, Zach's Mom

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