Zak

Parenthood is a joy, a blessing. But sometimes, it brings pain and hurt. And tears.

Over the weekend, Grace and Max lost their second child, Zak. We know that Zak came into this world ahead of his time. A couple of months early and both parents had struggled to keep Zak alive. He went through some blood transfusion. I gave Grace my mom’s home number that in case Zak needed more blood. “Fresh blood” was what Zak needed, not blood that had been donated and kept in a freezer, probably due to the sensitivities of being a baby.

Last Tuesday afternoon, while I was in a client meeting at the Cisco office at Citibank building, I got an sms from Grace. Zak had died. That news really caught me by surprise. I sense of quiet dawned upon me.

I know in many ways Chief and I could relate. We had our taste of parenthood with Christian Gabriel. But CG didn’t live long enough go through nine months with Chief. I will never forget that day when we both cried at the parking lot, inside Shaq. Never.

And now, my friends, Grace and Max are going through their own loss.

There are really no words to describe the loss of someone in the family, and even more, the loss of a two-month old baby named Zak.

Wherever you are Zak, hope you are now resting in the hands of the Lord.