Affiliate Leader Focus - Gina Zoulek, HPH - Helpful, Hopeful Gatherings
Posted
-
- Jun
- 26
- 2026
by Elizabeth Boisson
In April 2017, my world changed forever when my son, Zachary, was suddenly and tragically killed while riding his motorcycle. He was only 22 years old. One evening he went out for a ride, and he never came home.
For the first year and a half, I suffered from PTSD, reliving the moment when the doorbell rang at 3:00 a.m. Two police officers stood at my door and told me that Zachary had been involved in an accident with an impaired driver and had not survived his injuries. It was every mother's and family's worst nightmare.
Zachary was the oldest of my three children. Like many teenagers, he loved spending time with his friends and wasn't especially interested in academics, but he had an incredible gift for working with his hands. He could spend hours in the garage taking things apart, determined to make them bigger, better, or faster.
After graduating from high school, Zachary attended Mesa Community College, where he discovered a passion for welding. Fascinated by the craft, he decided to take it one step further and pursue underwater welding. He enrolled at the Divers Institute in Seattle, where he found the career he truly loved.
Zachary cherished his family and friends. He loved hiking with his dog, Diesel, spending time with his brother and sister, his many close-knit cousins, and being an uncle, grandson, nephew, brother, and son. He lived life with enthusiasm and left a lasting impact on everyone who knew him.
Just 23 months before Zachary's passing, one of his closest friends, Tyler Allen, also passed while riding his motorcycle. Tyler and Zachary had been best friends since elementary school. Early that heartbreaking morning, one of my first phone calls was to Tyler's mother, Carol Allen. She and her family dropped everything and came to be with us within an hour.
I remember wondering, after Tyler's passing, why I had felt such a deep connection to Carol as a mother. Later, I realized that, somehow, I had been preparing for a journey I never could have imagined.
It was Carol who introduced me to Helping Parents Heal.
Although it was a community I never wanted to be part of, I attended my first meetings. In the beginning, I didn't want to be there. But before long, I was welcomed with open arms. Other mothers shared their hearts, their stories, and their experiences, and for the first time since Zachary's passing, I realized I wasn't alone.
When the COVID pandemic prevented us from meeting in person, I invited a few mothers to gather at a local restaurant. What began as four or six parents meeting to talk about our children quickly grew into a much larger group, eventually becoming too large for the restaurant to accommodate.
I discovered tremendous healing by connecting with other parents whose children had transitioned, while also sharing my own journey with parents who were newer to theirs.
That experience inspired me to begin hosting Helping Parents Heal – Helpful, Hopeful, Gatherings in my home.
Once a month, parents gather to talk about our children, share our stories, support one another, and remind each other that we are not alone. As I helped others heal, I found that my own heart continued to heal as well.
While I would give anything to have Zachary here with us physically, I have found comfort, hope, and a beautiful new family through Helping Parents Heal. The friendships I have made have become some of the most meaningful relationships in my life.
Today, I am grateful for the opportunity to share Zachary's story and to walk beside other parents on their healing journeys.
With love,
~Gina Zoulek, Affiliate Leader, HPH - Helpful, Hopeful Gatherings