Family creates nonprofit to aid terminally ill kids’ kin

It has been quite a busy year for Robert and Katie Zadak.

They welcomed a baby and created a nonprofit in 2018. That follows the death of their 4-year-old son, Nick, to pediatric liver cancer in February 2017. The family has a 3-year-old daughter Anna, and their newborn Kayla is nearly 2 months old. Kayla was originally supposed to be born on the same day as Nick’s birthday, Sept. 12. Instead the family shifted her birth to Sept. 8, which Katie said was nice because, “We wanted them both to have their own special day.”

“When she was bundled up in the hospital, she looked exactly like Nick. Exactly like him,” Katie continued. “Now, not so much. But each baby is so different that for me it was more just wishing (Nick) were there to be a part of the family dynamic.”

Nick’s presence is still felt, and by more than just the Zadaks and their friends and family. The Zadaks have created a nonprofit called Catching Kindness to help pay for families’ living expenses toward the end of a terminally ill child’s life. They need to collect more money before they can assist with bigger expenses such as rent or mortgage payments, but in the near future they’re hoping to at least contribute gift cards for food and gas.

“We have a fairly lofty goal, and we know we have to take it in baby steps, and we’re not going to be able to do our ultimate goal right away,” Katie said. “The ultimate goal is to basically, through the hospital, find families who have been given a terminal diagnosis of a couple months left. … So that parents can stay home and not worry about losing their house.”

Robert admitted that “it’s hard to expose yourself and share your story,” which is something the Zadaks have had to do as part of fundraising, and also for their Christmas toy drive for Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland — they’re doing the toy drive again this year from Nov. 19 through Dec. 19. But the family still wants to assist others who end up in situations similar to the one they had.

When Nick was dying, Katie was able to take time off from her job of managing a local Walmart and spend time with Nick. Sometimes, they would only lay in bed together because that’s all Nick could do. Other times, they would play together because Nick felt a spurt of energy and excitement. Regardless, they were together for the end.

“It’s heartbreaking, but you also can never get that time back. It’s invaluable,” Katie said.

“I’m sure every case is different, but we at least got pretty good glimpses of his normal personality up until the very end,” Robert added.

The Zadaks recognize that not every family will be as fortunate as them if their child is dying of a terminal illness. Catching Kindness is their way of helping out.

“We just want to be able to take the financial burden away for those critical times that you can never get back,” Katie said.