We challenged the narrative that this road would not be worth it and reclaimed hope in the process.

Zev’s Story

Our son Zev was born at just 23-weeks gestation, just over halfway through pregnancy and under the age of viability. He was given a 1% chance of survival at birth and an even lower expectation of having a functioning and thriving life because of the myriad issues that arose during our five-month stay in the NICU.

With each new battle - lung collapses, severe brain bleeds, heart issues, nutrition complications, infections, potential blindness, promising steps forward followed by devastating stumbles backward in his health - we navigated the razor-thin edge between life and death, made impossible decisions about his health and future quality of life, battled hopelessness and fear with trust and surrender, and time and time again, we witnessed incredible miracles, in Zev, in the deeper parts of ourselves, and in the world around us.

In 2020, we launched a podcast called The Zev Project that details our journey and strategies for challenging the common narratives around the outcomes we potentially faced with regard to Zev’s future and his physical abilities. Where the world saw sadness and devastation, we saw the potential for life and joy by focusing on the good within the struggle and the hope in Zev’s future. As time went on, and as our Zev Project community grew, we realized that we wanted to do more to bring attention to the beautiful possibilities for these mighty humans as they walk out their miraculous lives, to honor the yes that they and their caregivers consistently postured in as they navigated such an uncertain road.

When science told us that Zev was going to live a life fraught with pain and disability, we had a choice in how we postured when receiving such news. We chose to surrender the outcome and believe that we could create a world where Zev’s abilities, whatever they were, were celebrated and where we could empower him to live life to his fullest potential as a strong and thriving child in the world, even with such a long and difficult history of extreme prematurity. One night, as I was connecting with my online Zev Project community, it was like someone turned on all my internal lights. I knew exactly what we could do to not only celebrate these kids and give them the experiences that affirm and celebrate their wild, purposeful, and dynamic lives, but to honor and care for their caregivers as well as they navigate and process their own stories around the NICU journey. From a tiny one-pound-four-ounce little human seed and one hell of a journey, 4those was born.

At the heart of it, we found deep connections and forged life-long bonds with other families in the same season of life during our time in the NICU. And as Zev graduated into the world beyond the hospital, we were beautifully supported through state-funded programs that served to keep us connected during the early months of life in the wild. But after turning three, Zev aged out of this transitional care, and we found we wanted to create a space for former micro-preemies and their families to stay connected and create new and lasting memories together as they continue to walk the road in front of them. We wanted to bring healing and hope to these individuals in real time to help set the stage for seeing the “more” of an abundant future.

As these kids grow up in our programs year after year, our families will be creating a connective legacy with one another that we hope will extend beyond 4those and into the world. Through our programming at 4those, we hope to create a lasting impact that promotes hope and possibility for families facing the NICU journey right now, so that they may know that at the end of this incredible season that can be full of fear, uncertainty, and feelings of loss or devastation, there is goodness and opportunity to celebrate the life that is in and for them.

Zev is now a healthy and thriving five-year-old boy, and we share his story any chance we get. His story was our first story, and we want other former micro-preemies and their families to come rewrite and live out their own narratives and then share them too, because if there is one thing we know about hope and miracles, it’s that each time they are shared, they spread, rippling outward and positively affecting all who hear and experience them.