c. 2007 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) Zachary Moore, though born prematurely in July 2002, seemed normal at first. Slowly, however, his parents began to notice alarming changes in their son.

“We never could overcome issues with lack of weight gain (and) over about a two-week period his skin became tight and seemed to not be growing,” writes Zachary’s father, Keith, in “Old at Age 3,” a book about his son’s fight against Progeria, a rare genetic disease that causes accelerated aging in children. “We knew something bigger was wrong with him.”

According to the Progeria Research Foundation, the disease affects as many as one in 4 million to as few as one in 8 million people. The average life span for a child with Progeria is 13; heart disease is usually the cause of death.

When Zachary died on Jan. 23, 2006, he was one of 11 children in the U.S. stricken with Progeria.

Molly and Keith Moore talked from their home in Stillwater, Okla., about their son’s illness and the ways in which his life, despite his challenges, brought spiritual fulfillment to the family.

(This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)

Q: In your book, you talk about how blessed you feel to have had a child like Zachary. Why do you feel God chose your family to have a child with Progeria?

A: (Keith) We’re all faced with challenges. I think we definitely could have let it destroy our family. Instead we decided to treat it as a blessing. He taught us what life is all about. He was more than a son; he was an inspiration to us. We felt so blessed that God did choose us. His reason for being here was to reach people. We didn’t get into defeatism.

Q: Your book is a very positive one, but did you ever feel angry about Zachary’s condition?

A: (Keith) We were never angry with God, though we might have been frustrated at times. But anger was one of the emotions we never experienced.

Q: How did you negotiate what medical science was telling you about your son’s illness and the hope that comes with faith?

A: (Molly) He had seen 68 doctors by the time he was 2. One doctor asked us if we were Christian and then basically said your child is going to die _ have a nice day. But the Progeria Foundation helped us learn that you are your child’s advocate. We prayed about every decision we had to make.

A: (Keith) The thing about Progeria is that there is no textbook route, so it makes it a tough job for both doctors and patients.

Q: You refer to Zachary as your “in the flesh” spiritual guide. What are some of the most important spiritual lessons Zachary taught the family?

A: (Keith) I struggled a lot with being a selfish person. Zachary taught us what truly being a servant to God is all about. He had the ability to show that happiness can be found no matter what your circumstances are, as long you care for others and are unselfish.

A: (Molly) Looking into Zachary’s eyes was like looking into the eyes of God because he was not judgmental. He taught us not to judge anyone until you know their story and you know their heart. Judging isn’t supposed to be up to us anyway. We have letters from kids who have read the book and said they learned not to judge people from the outside but get to know them on the inside.

Q: Does anyone in particular stand out as having learned the most from your son?

A: (Molly) We got a letter from a man that had checked himself into a hotel room to commit suicide because he felt his problems were insurmountable; he didn’t want his family to see him. He saw Zachary with Hobbs (Zachary’s service dog) on the TV news, and he walked out of the hotel room the next morning, dedicating his life to God.

Q: How is the family now that Zachary has passed away?

A: (Molly) Even our kids have a lot more appreciation for other people, not just themselves. My kid passed a child in a wheelchair, and he said, “Hey, cool ride.” We work with special kids and their therapists. We’re a lot more tolerant.

Life is short and you don’t want to live with regrets. You want to right your wrongs now while you still have the chance. You don’t want your last conversation with people to be negative.

A: (Keith) But now we don’t have that “in the flesh” spiritual guide. Zachary gave us a clear-cut mission and now we don’t have that anymore. We definitely should look up to special-need individuals as models.

Q: What is your advice to those battling a terminal illness?

A: (Keith) The easiest thing is to turn it all over to God. Pray a lot and have complete faith, and don’t let it destroy every aspect of your life. Live your life to your fullest. We should all be living that way, regardless of a diagnosis. Turn it outward, and do something for someone else. It will make you feel complete and whole.

A: (Molly) It is only a temporary separation. I remember the first time someone said, “I’m sorry for your loss.” And I said, “My son isn’t lost.” God gave everyone a gift, and once you’ve fulfilled your purpose you receive your promotion. We didn’t call Zachary’s passing away a funeral; we called it a life celebration.

Photos of Zachary Moore are available via https://religionnews.com.

KRE/LF END FOWLER