The teenager from Iron River, Michigan, surprised his youth group and 5,000 other teenagers during CHIC 2006 when he walked onto the Main Stage during the evening worship service on July 17. Three weeks before the event, Zack learned he would not be able to attend because cancer that had been in remission had reappeared. The treatments prevented him from making the long bus trip to Knoxville, Tennessee, with other members of his youth group.

CHIC organizers learned of Zack's situation and the devastating feeling experienced by other members of his youth group at not having Zack as part of the team, after so many long months of planning for the trip. Organizers paid for an airplane ticket and secretly flew the 16-year-old to Knoxville, where they kept him hidden until bringing him on stage. His fellow youth group members mobbed him on stage and the thousands of teens and adults in the arena jumped to their feet amid thunderous applause. To read more of that evening's experience, please see 'No Ordinary Day' for Surprise Guest at CHIC.

The family has been documenting Zack's progress on a special website at Caring Bridge, but Monday evening Zack did his own post, "mainly out of boredom." The teenager wrote, "Things are looking good. Thanks for all the prayers, and thoughts being sent our way. It really helps."