Dad-of-two Casey Zager has just endured every parent’s nightmare. His youngest little boy Hank was involved in a terrible tragedy that has changed his family’s life forever.
Content warning: This story discusses the loss of a child.
Losing Hank
Casey has taken to social media to share their story, driven by grief and the determination that other parents might take something from his loss.
“Hank turned one 3 weeks ago,” Casey wrote alongside a video of the little boy’s first birthday party. “He passed away last night.”
“At first, we thought he choked on a muffin, but the medical examiner discovered a bean was blocking his airway. Apparently, it just went down the ‘wrong pipe’.”
Casey was CPR certified and he immediately administered first aid to his little boy. The family called 911 straight away. He was conscious and breathing, on the way to hospital within 7 minutes of starting to choke. They did everything right.
But things went very wrong, very quickly, despite the best efforts of hospital staff.
“They fought so hard for 2 hours to keep Hank breathing and his heart beating, but we lost … I’m so thankful for the medical staff and how hard they fought for my boy. ”
Casey and his family are obviously enduring an incredibly difficult time, but this lovely dad still wanted to share an important message with others.
“I know this is a really sad thing, and I normally don’t post super personal things on social media, but I want to share something that I have learned,” Casey wrote on Instagram.
“Put first things first. Worry about stuff that matters. Talk to God. Be with people. Be real and vulnerable. Don’t argue over insignificant things.”
“Let things go if you can. Stop getting annoyed by little things. Put your phone down. Look people in the eye. Don’t wish away the time.”
Casey’s wife Ashton – Hank’s mum – has shared many of her own thoughts on Instagram as she tries to process this terrible loss. She posted some of the words she spoke at Hank’s funeral and thanked those who were supporting the family. She also spoke of how lucky she is to be Hank’s mum.
“Today, I get to be a person standing on this stage honouring my son and it is a privilege. It is a privilege to be his mom. And I can honestly say that there was not a day of his life where I didn’t cherish him.”
“To say that we’ve had a village rise up would be an understatement. We have felt an army surrounding us these past few days. To hold us, carry us, to give to us. To be angry for us. To mourn for us. We are overwhelmed with the outpouring of love. Thank you.”
