Fundraiser for Burlington Native and Father of Four with Congestive Heart Failure

The following is a guest story by Judy Zagzoug about David Zagzougs, a Burlington native and father of four who has congestive heart failure. David needs to recieve treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Florida and on June 16 there will be a fund raiser to help him and his family cover the expense at the Melrose Knights of Columbus, 23 West Foster Street, Melrose, starting at 7 p.m. Find details below:

The Zagzougs grew up on College Road delivering The Boston Globe in the morning, The Daily Times in the afternoon, route passing from the sisters, Judy and Carol, to the brothers, Steven and David.  The boys are twins, growing up inseparable. Judy was on the swim team and participated in Rainbow, Carol played high school field hockey and softball.

Steven and David played Pop Warner football, soccer, and high school wrestling. Coach Joe Levassuer affectionately called them “zig” and ”zag”.  Back then they had taken physicals to participate in sports, the school physician notified David’s parents that his heart beat irregularly. He was diagnosed with a heart murmur. This required yearly monitoring and an antibiotic treatment before any type of medical procedures, even the dentist.  As a result David was unable to play high school sports. He graduated Burlington High School in 1989 and got a full time job working with cars. 

At eighteen David found himself a single father to a daughter Samantha. A few years later he married, adopted his wife’s son Joey, and had two more children, a girl Christina and a boy Steven, named after his twin. David got a better job with AT&T as a cable guy, Comcast bought them out and he stayed with the company. He brought his children up in Billerica where they stayed until 2001. David and his family moved to Florida, where both sets of their parents had retired. David transferred his job with Comcast until his accident.

In November of 2002, David fell from a ladder, and suffered a tear to his Achilles tendon which required surgery. David contracted Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) from non-sterile equipment used at the hospital. MRSA is a treatable (not curable) staph infection but is also called a “superbug”. The MRSA attacks the path of least resistance, which for David is his heart. 

Soon after, David and his wife divorced. David had a heart attack in 2003, after which he had to have a pacemaker defibrillator installed, and many other heart related surgeries. Since that time David has been unable to work to provide for himself or his four children.  Now at 42 year old, David has congestive heart failure (CHF). David can no longer live alone or do any physical activity. He tires quickly and is unable to participate in his children’s everyday lives. The CHF requires that he be hospitalized about every other month to drain fluid that surrounds his heart. CHF can lead to the heart failure and other organs shutting down, including his liver which has been damaged as a direct result of his heart issues.

There have been many emotional ups and downs in this process including being told without a heart transplant David will live only 8 months. David has recently undergone a two week battery of tests and information at the Mayo Clinic at Jacksonville, Florida.

David’s home is in Port St. Lucie, 5 hours away from the Mayo, and the hospital will require him to relocate to Jacksonville to be within 2 hours driving distance. David is being cared for and accompanied to every appointment and procedure by his parents Mickey and Janet, who will relocate with him. David was notified through the Mayo Transplant Team very recently that he will be getting a mechanical heart, hopefully within the next month; this will provide a stop gap while waiting for his new heart. This gives David more time for his health to improve, his blood to develop better antibodies, and his liver a chance to repair itself. The recovery process is the same as the transplant, cardio rehabilitation. This should greatly improve David's stamina and strength and buy him valuable time to get the full transplant which he will still need.

The Zagzoug sibling’s have remained local, Judy in Tewksbury, Carol in Woburn, and Steven in Marlboro, and have an aunt still in Burlington. They are helping David to raise the funds for continued costs before and after the transplant. The family has already seen many old friends, neighbors, and businesses donate and have received some very generous help and support to date. Realizing that other families are also facing hard times, they greatly appreciate any assistance anyone can provide.  The money raised will go to relocation costs which they will need to move to temporarily before and after to transplant to be near the Mayo, antirejection drugs among many other medical associated costs. 

A kick off fundraiser will be held at the Melrose Knights of Columbus, 23 West Foster Street, Melrose, on June 16, 2012 at 7:00 p.m., there will be food, fun and music as well as plenty of raffle prizes. A silent auction will feature many Red Sox signed memorabilia among other great items.

Tickets can be bought at the website or at the door.  Cash donations can be made directly on the website www.heart4davez.com or at a TD Bank location made out to Heart for Dave Z. Although David cannot be at the fundraiser, he will be there via Skype.  The Zagzoug’s would like any local business willing to sponsor future fundraisers, donate raffles prizes, baskets, or cash to call 978-606-3252.  There are more fundraising activities still in the planning stages, please check the website for updates.