ROXBOROUGH – A man who has endured 29 heart surgeries does not let that stop him from his passion: spending time playing golf. It reminds him every day to never give up.
What we know:
An inspiring story about finding your passion no matter what hand you’ve been dealt. Zakki Blatt Strunk has undergone 29 heart surgeries, but that hasn’t stopped him from playing his heart out on the golf course.
What they’re saying:
Zakki Blatt Strunk feels his best on the green at Walnut Lane Golf Club in Roxborough where he played 18 holes on Friday.
“I got a 68 today. That is a six over par on this golf course,” he said with a smile. It is fun and therapeutic.
“Mentally it feels good to be outdoors in nature and physically it helps my physical therapy,” said Zakki. He is beating the odds by excelling at a sport that his mom Stephanie says most would not think he could do.
“We were told he would never walk or talk so he has always proven them wrong,” said Stephanie Middleton.
By the numbers:
Zakki was born with complex congenital heart defects which also affected his lungs where he gets infections. He has also had a stroke.
“One of his complications is massive pulmonary hemorrhages where he just loses a third of his blood. He just starts coughing it up,” said Stephanie.
Zakki has had 29 surgeries. 17 of those on his heart. He takes 48 medications and supplements every day.
“He had been on oxygen for 21 months straight 24/7 and one of his doctors said we just need to buy time,” his mother recalled.
What’s next:
But Zakki had a different plan.
“He said, ‘I want to play golf on a golf course before I die,’” she said.
His mom set out to make it happen. She says he was a pre-teen then.
“He showed up in a big old red stroller with oxygen on and I got him out of the stroller with his oxygen on and put a putter in his hand and I said putt away,” said Stephanie who says her son’s love for golf comes from his dad.
“His father was big at golf and sports in general,” she said.
Zakki pushes through the tough times by doing what he can even after surgeries to get back to the green.
“I try to get out here at least once a week. If we are lucky and not at CHOP appointments, then maybe twice,” he said. He and his mom take a SEPTA bus to get from their home in the Art Museum area to the golf course. They have a GoFundMe to raise money for a car.
Big picture view:
Meanwhile there is something else on Zakki’s wish list.
“I would love to play in a tournament, but I have to work up to that,” he said. “I believe I can do it too. I can believe I can do it,” he said.
The family is hoping to get help getting a van or SUV to transport Zakki’s life-saving equipment, get to doctors’ appointments and of course to the golf course.
What you can do:
If you would like to contribute and help Zakki and his mom with a car, you can visit their GoFundMe, here.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by Zakki’s family.
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