For years, the world has followed the lives of Tori and Zach Roloff and their adorable family through the show “Little People, Big World.” Now, they are opening up more than ever about the personal health challenges they have faced. From Zach’s emergency surgery to the recent procedure for their beloved daughter Lila, this resilient family has consistently approached life’s challenges with honesty and grace.
It feels like just yesterday we heard about Zack’s health crisis, but in reality, that life-threatening emergency brain surgery took place over a year ago. In February 2023, Zack was rushed to the hospital due to an urgent need to repair a shunt that had been implanted years earlier. This was an extremely difficult time for the family.
A shunt is a hollow tube surgically implanted into the brain or spinal cord to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid and redirect it to other parts of the body for absorption. Zack had previously undergone shunt surgery, and this procedure was a repair surgery conducted due to recurring discomfort and his description of experiencing “seven years of severe headaches.”
Tori shared this concerning news on Instagram, opening up to her fans about how she was feeling. She explained that while “they said it was routine surgery,” for her family, “this is far from routine, and Zach and I are both nervous.” She admitted that it was “a big deal” for them, but they trusted the medical team and recognized their “expertise and knowledge.”
The next few hours were extremely difficult. Tori later recalled that terrifying period on their Raising Heights podcast, revealing her extreme panic at the time. She shared that she received calls at 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. informing her that “your husband has been transferred to the intensive care unit.” She said, “I rushed to the intensive care unit.” The scene that greeted her was deeply unsettling. When she arrived, she heard Zack calling out her name. “Zack was shouting my name,” she recalled, adding, “I thought, ‘Oh my God, he’s going to leave like this. Is this the end?’”
Fortunately, the emergency bypass surgery was successful. After what Tori described as “72 terrifying hours,” Zack began to recover. Tori shared touching photos from the hospital, one of which gave her a glimmer of hope.
She updated her fans on February 10, 2023, writing that she had spent most of her time in the emergency room and intensive care unit, where “it was raining outside and the weather was terrible.” However, she added, “Just as I received the call that Zack’s surgery had gone smoothly, I walked back to his room and saw this view.” This moment was deeply meaningful to her, as if it were “a sign that God was with us.”
A few days later, Zack was able to go home to continue his recovery and reunite with his family. He posted his own update on February 12, 2023, expressing his gratitude. “I’m back home and recovering!” he wrote, thanking everyone who had been concerned about him.
He acknowledged the mental stress of the past week but said he was hopeful for the future, describing himself as “on the road to recovery.”He again mentioned that he had undergone shunt revision surgery after his condition worsened, noting that while the shunt had always been a part of his life, “the past week has made it very real for our family.”
A year later, Zack is feeling much better. When discussing the aftermath of the incident on a podcast, he reflected on the nature of the issues involving the brain, cerebrospinal fluid, and the shunt. He noted that symptoms like headaches can sometimes be difficult to diagnose.
However, a year after the surgery, there was good news: “A year has passed since the surgery, and I haven’t had a single migraine since,” Zack shared, which fully demonstrated the success of the surgery. However, this experience left a deep impression on him.
Zack admitted that this hospitalization experience left him with “medical trauma.”He has always harbored a lingering fear that if the headaches return, it could mean there is an issue with the newly implanted shunt, making him acutely aware that things could go wrong.
Despite this, his focus remains firmly on his family. “Obviously, terrible things can happen any day,” he acknowledges, but his priorities are clear: “But I have to be there for my kids. My kids need me, you know?” His commitment to his children is deeply moving.
The emergency surgery was undoubtedly a challenging period for Tori, with its impact extending far beyond the initial hospital stay. In the weeks following Zack’s surgery, she felt overwhelmed by stress.
Around Valentine’s Day that year, she took some time alone to find peace on a bridge near her home. She openly shared her feelings, writing, “I feel a bit drained this afternoon.” She expressed gratitude for this peaceful spot, calling it a place to “recharge.”
Zach was well aware of everything Tori had done during his health crisis and made a special effort to celebrate her. In a belated Mother’s Day social media post in May, he shared a heartfelt message. He called her “the incredible wife and mother of our family, who always makes these days so special in our home!”
Related posts:
Tori and Zach Roloff Give Update Following 4-Year-Old Daughter Lilah’s Surgery
Little People’s Tori Roloff shares scary video of Zach with his ‘face sliced open’ just weeks after husband’s surgery
‘Little People, Big World’: Tori Roloff Feared Zach Roloff Had Cancer Before Emergency Surgery
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