WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - A man born prematurely more than 30 years ago at UMass Medical Center in Worcester returned to the hospital this week to thank those who provided him with the care he needed, while also announcing his plan to give back.
Zach Zaborny, 32, walked the halls of the hospital Wednesday to meet some of the staff to thank them personally.
“I wanted to come back and say ‘thank you’ and just, you know, see where it all began,” Zaborny said.
Weighing in at only one pound, he was born premature at 26 weeks in 1989. He said his legs were so small at the time, someone could have fit a ring on one of them.
For six months, staff provided extensive care to infant Zaborny, including nurse Anne Castonguay, who was on hand for Wednesday’s visit.
“We didn’t have the medications and stuff that we do now to help the baby, so it took him a long time to get better,” Castonguay said.
Years later, Zaborny took it upon himself to search for the staff who helped deliver him, including Castonguay, who traveled from Arizona to Worcester for the visit.
“Then one day, I got a phone call from Henry saying somebody was looking for me and I thought in my head ‘Oh, I hope it’s Zach, I hope it’s Zach,'” Castonguay told 7NEWS.
“You know, meeting and seeing Anne again was crazy,” Zaborny said.
“It’s just been a wonderful experience to be able to see him and meet him and, an honor for me, you know, it makes me feel like ‘Wow, I’ve done a good thing!'” Castonguay said.
Zaborny, who lives with autism, went on to graduate from Kansas State University and became a software engineer. He said he now travels around the world to talk about his success and how others with autism can thrive in the business world.
On Wednesday, he said he was donating part of his estate to the hospital, a place that means so much to him.
“Being able to know that, not only am I potentially helping future familities in my situation, but future doctors to help future families,” Zaborny added.
He also said Wednesday would not be his last visit to the hospital, and that he hopes to keep a relationship with the staff members who took care of him so many years ago.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)