June 29, 2016 – February 20, 2025
Diagnosed: January 17, 2024
Written by Zachary’s family
On June 29, 2016, Zachary Snetiker entered the world, bringing with him an infectious joy and a heart full of love. He was smart, silly, and full of life, with a deep love for his family, his twin brother Matthew, and his little sister Aria. His bond with Matthew was unbreakable, a connection that could only be shared between identical twins. Whether playing games, making jokes, or simply being together, they were inseparable.
Zachary had a passion for vehicles, especially emergency and construction trucks, loved dogs, rainbows, superheroes, baking and music. He enjoyed playing games — everything from hide and seek to Wordle — art projects and drawing, reading and learning, and watching movies like “Cars” and “Elf.”
But more than anything, Zachary loved being with his family. He cherished his parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, and no matter where he was, he found comfort in their love. Whether spending time with them at his house in New York, or at their houses in New Jersey or Los Angeles, or on family vacations to the Bahamas, Mexico, the Poconos, and Ocean City, he always had the best time making memories with the people he loved most. He also loved his Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World, where meeting the characters filled him with pure joy.
A Heartbreaking Diagnosis
For months, Zachary had been struggling with persistent vomiting. Doctors initially diagnosed him with Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) in the summer of 2023, but the symptoms continued. In January 2024, his family took him to the emergency room after he began experiencing headaches, difficulty walking, slurred speech, worsening handwriting, and eye crossing. A CT scan revealed extreme hydrocephalus, and Zachary underwent emergency brain surgery to relieve the pressure in his brain. But the worst news was yet to come.
On January 17, 2024, Zachary was diagnosed with DIPG—a disease his family had never even heard of before that moment. The devastation was immediate, but like so many families facing this unimaginable reality, they had no choice but to fight for every possible moment with their son.
A Journey of Strength and Resilience
Zachary’s battle with DIPG was relentless. He endured three brain surgeries, including one that required him to stay in the hospital for three weeks, intubated for over a week. He bravely faced 30 rounds of radiation at Columbia in NYC, and when his tumor grew back in the fall, he underwent an additional 10 rounds of re-irradiation. His fight took him to CHOP in Philadelphia for a clinical trial, where he endured dozens of hospital visits, countless blood draws, IVs, MRIs, and hundreds of swallowed pills.
Through it all, Zachary remained brave, kind hearted, and full of light. There were days when he was exhausted, frustrated, and sad, but he still managed to smile, laugh, and follow every instruction given to him by his doctors, nurses, and parents. He showed unimaginable strength, adapting to each new challenge with the same resilient spirit that had defined him long before his diagnosis.
An Army of Support and a Legacy of Love
Throughout Zachary’s journey, his family was surrounded by an incredible community of love and support. From the medical teams at Columbia and CHOP to hospice staff, teachers, caregivers, and friends, Zachary was never alone in his fight.
They also found guidance and comfort through the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation, an organization whose mission aligned deeply with their own journey. With both parents being University of Michigan graduates (Go Blue!), the connection felt even stronger—so much so that Zachary’s middle name, Arbor, was chosen in honor of Ann Arbor.
Fighting for a Cure
Zachary’s story is being shared because his life mattered, and because no other family should have to endure this pain. DIPG stole the future Zachary should have had—the birthdays, the family trips, the games with Matthew and Aria, the adventures that were never meant to end.
His family mourns not only who Zachary was but who he never got the chance to become.
Now, they fight for him.
They fight for a future where DIPG is no longer a death sentence. They fight for more research, more treatments, and one day—a cure.
Because no child should ever have to suffer as Zachary did. And no family should ever have to say goodbye too soon.
