The New Jersey Metro & Rockland County Chapter of Breakthrough T1D is pleased to announce our 2023 One Dream Gala Honorees: The Epp Family!

If you ask 16-year-old Zach Epp to define himself in one word, he is an Athlete. Motivated by the challenge of competition and the thrill of personal achievement, he has always prioritized health and fitness. That’s why, despite the global pandemic, Zach wasn’t going to miss his first in-person basketball tournament in March of 2021.

Life changed for Zach – and his entire family – when he tested positive for Covid after that tournament. Despite their best efforts to keep Zach isolated, his mom Candice also contracted Covid. Emerging from quarantine 14 days later, dad Travis noticed how much weight his son had lost while out on a family walk. Later that evening, Zach commented on how he had been waking several times in the night to use the restroom. He also expressed frustration at his weight loss, as he had just gotten back into weight lifting.

Mother’s intuition told Candice that this was more than just underlying Covid-related complications, so she took Zach to the doctor right away. From there, as happens to so many, Zach was sent immediately to the emergency room. His diagnosis of T1D was confirmed on April 3, 2021, just a few weeks past his 14th birthday.

What set his diagnosis experience apart from many others was that, due to Covid restrictions, only Candice was able to be in the hospital with her son. Travis had to learn all about parenting a child with T1D from behind a screen. And Zach’s brother Matthew watched as the entire dynamic of their family unit shifted overnight. Stepping up to his big brother role, Matthew tried to learn as much as he could so he would be prepared to help if needed.

Lovingly hailed as the strong one of the family, Candice knew they had to take things one day at a time. Together they would navigate the daily challenges and successes of T1D. She coached her son through the rough days, reminding him that while T1D is now part of who he is, it doesn’t define him. His parents both regularly assured him that it was OK to be angry, but it was not OK to let T1D stop him from achieving his dreams.

Travis and Candice immediately connected with Breakthrough T1D to help guide them on their newfound journey. Just days after diagnosis, Breakthrough T1D’s chapter outreach manager spoke with Travis and invited him to attend a virtual research update. It was on that call, when Travis candidly opened up about his fears, that we knew their family would stop at nothing to drive research forward to find a cure, not only for their son, but for all people living with T1D.

Breakthrough T1D is proud to honor the Epp family. On the evening of May 13, Zach along with his older brother Matthew, his father Travis, a Partner at EisnerAmper, and his mother Candice, an Assistant Vice President – Wealth Management Specialist at Merrill Lynch, will join us in the ballroom and invite you to join them in making a life-changing impact.

If you would like to make a donation to the 2023 One Dream Gala in honor of the Epp Family, please click HERE.