From Surviving to Thriving

Surviving a bizarre plane crash sounds like a happy ending, but for Zach and Kate, it was the beginning of a long battle to save their marriage and their family. A single-prop accident left Zach with serious injuries requiring multiple surgeries, and Kate with a life-threatening traumatic brain injury that kept her hospitalized for months. While they fought to recover, a family member stepped in to take care of their baby girl.

“Life had been really good,” Zach remembers. “The plane crash derailed everything. It put both of us into a really dark place. Even after we were back in the same house, there was just me and her – but not a lot of us.”  After nearly losing his life, his wife and his child, Zach turned to gambling as an escape, hiding it from Kate for a time.

Two years later, Kate was unsure if she even wanted to live anymore, when a friend invited her to church. There, she encountered Jesus and that changed her life. She had passion and purpose and was discovering the power of prayer – but her marriage was still unraveling. 

Things got worse when Kate uncovered Zach's gambling addiction. The financial loss was bad enough, but the lies were inexcusable. Although he turned to God, tackled the problem and eventually found a support group, it looked like it might be too late for them to save their marriage.  

They were separated and headed for divorce when Kate happened to see a sign for The Marriage School. She admits that their daughter was the catalyst for even sharing the information with Zach – “I grew up in a broken home and I did not want that for my daughter,” she shares, “but in the moment, I saw no other way.”  Zach called right away, and within a week, they were in class.

What they discovered at The Marriage School was a group of real people who share the same goals and the same vocabulary – who are on the same journey. They learned how to reconnect using respectful communication skills. And, they stopped trying to fix each other and instead started cleaning up their own side of the street.

Zach and Kate now volunteer at The Marriage School in order to give back to other couples who are struggling. They don’t claim their marriage is perfect – but they are growing better together.