CINDY ZOOK'S STORY
The Hole that God Filled
There are moments in our lives where the story unfolds in a way that seems to spiral out of control. But the truth is, God is with us, and we can trust Him - even in hard things. That is how Cindy Zook described her experience when this unexpected turn happened shortly after her third child was born.
Going into her son’s 3 month check up, Cindy had no concerns. Both she and her husband were prepared for a normal report from their Doctor. But what Cindy heard that day would send them on a very long and difficult journey to healing.
After listening to Cindy relay some minor concerns and examining the baby, their Doctor surmised that Chuck had a hole in his heart and referred them to a cardiologist. Cindy had come alone to this appointment. This news was both surprising and scary to her. She found a phone as quickly as she could to call her husband, Steve, and share the news. They would be walking down this road together with God leading them.
Later on, the cardiologist was able to explain the entirety of the situation. This type of hole - which was also disrupting the correct blood flow - would require an extremely invasive surgery that could be done… after he was 2 years old.
Over the course of the next two years, Chuck grew to be a scrawny toddler. Cindy and Steve gave him all the extra nourishment his body needed to try and counteract the heart issues as they waited for their appointment with the surgical team at Riley Children’s Hospital. God had seen them through that waiting period. He was faithful in the waiting.
Finally, the day had come. Cindy recalled her struggle with not being able to prepare her son for what was next. How can you explain this to a two year old? His chest would be cut open, heart removed and stopped, a patch sewn over the hole, his heart re-started, placed back into his body, and his chest sewn back together. It was a huge procedure that would leave any parent unsure of what the next 5 hours would hold. But even then, the Zook’s were reminded that God doesn’t always lay it out for us. He doesn’t give us the whole picture. It would be too much for us to handle or comprehend. And even though Chuck wouldn’t understand, his parents did. They saw the whole picture and knew this needed to be done for Chuck’s good. Just like God does for us. Knowing this was for their son’s good, pushed them through the hardship of handing their son over and awaiting intermittent check-ins with the surgical team’s liaison. Steve and Cindy had already made up their minds that God is faithful, no matter the outcome.
As Cindy waited, her brother sat nearby with index cards that he handed to her whenever he felt she needed comfort. On the cards were scriptures he had written out. God’s Word and Truth that would counteract the lies and worries Cindy battled for the duration of her son’s surgery.
Inside the operating room, they found a leak after the initial patch was sewn, so the original 5 hour surgery turned into 9 as the surgical team fixed the leak and got him put back together. Cindy recalls the index cards being a crucial lifeline to her during those long hours of waiting.
When Steve and Cindy were able to see their son again, he lay there so vulnerable in his room. There were machines surrounding him - all attached in some way. When they were finally able to hold him, it took the nurse 20 minutes to maneuver the tubes and wires.
As hard as all this was for them, they could see how God continued to reveal Himself. A close family friend made the drive to see Chuck in the hospital - weeping with them over the hardship of seeing a child they loved so much in the ICU. Others helped care for their oldest two children back at home. Cindy also had their youngest child (a baby girl) with them through this operation. A nurse they knew at Riley would take turns caring for her so Steve and Cindy could go into the ICU where babies weren’t allowed.
They were also able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House during this time - relieving them of the burden of a hotel bill and driving time everyday. Cindy recalled that they were also “well prayed for”. All of these factors came back to mind easily as she relayed the story years later.
In fact, about 18 years after this operation, God, once again, proved His goodness. Chuck went in yearly after his surgery, to have his heart checked. This was standard procedure and was expected to be needed the rest of his life. When he was 20 years old, the doctor said that the heart repair was done so perfectly that these yearly checks were unnecessary and he needn’t schedule anymore.
And after all this time, Cindy still believes that “God is always wise and good, even when we don’t understand why we have to go through (trials). He faithfully walks beside us loving, providing, guiding, in the midst of happy endings, like our Chuck story…and even in times of unspeakable sorrow, like our Bobby story. He is more than worthy of our trust!”
*the “Bobby story” refers to the death of their older son Bobby on August 31st, 2002.