Zachary Rowe of Prescott, Arizona has been at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital since Wednesday when the accident happened. He suffered a crushed pelvis when the tree fell and was in surgery all Friday. "It's exploratory surgery to see the extent of the damage that's been done, but we have been told that he's probably going to undergo many more surgeries to come," family friend Shannon Renae told ABC7 News. Zach's mother said she was not ready to do an interview, but she wanted her close friend to share her thoughts. "Zachary's a very special little boy and she wants people to know. This has just been such an extremely devastating experience for all of us," Renae said.
Renae was part of a large family camping trip at San Mateo County Memorial Park, an annual gathering that goes back three generations. Just before dawn Wednesday, they heard a loud cracking sound as an oak tree fell onto the tent where young Zach and his cousin were sleeping. Zach's cousin only suffered cuts and bruises. "Zachary was saying things like, 'My legs feel like jelly. They're restless,' kind of rolling back and forth. We thought maybe he was just still half asleep. We really didn't feel the seriousness or the significance of it until a little bit later," Renae said.
Zach is a swimmer and golfer. He was scheduled to start 7th grade in two weeks back home in Arizona, but all of that is on hold with his life in the hands of surgeons and the medical staff at Lucile Packard children's Hospital. "You know, we just have to hang in there for Zach," Renae said. Internal bleeding is still a concern. Family and friends describe Zach as a fighter and they're confident he is going to pull through.
