The Zaky ZAK and The Zaky HUG - Delivery, Post Partum, and NICU
"Nothing healed my soul, body, and mind more than the power of touch connecting me with Zach." - Yamile
Our journey with The Zaky® began in 2001 when our son Zachary was born 12 weeks prematurely, weighing less than 2 lbs. During our five-month stay in the NICU, I discovered the healing power of touch. I realized that NICU babies often develop an aversion to touch, and I was determined to ensure Zach grew up surrounded by love and human closeness, not isolation.
When Tropical Storm Allison left the hospital powerless, it was our touch that kept Zach alive, reinforcing my commitment to support other families. With four engineering degrees and over a decade of corporate experience, I created The Zaky HUG® to comfort Zach when I couldn’t hold him. Seeing the crucial role kangaroo care played in Zach's survival, we wanted to share it with others.
Between 2006 and 2009, we engineered The Zaky ZAK® to keep babies safe while being held. In 2011, we founded International Kangaroo Care Awareness Day (May 15) to promote education and practice, and in 2024, we launched The Zaky® APP to help parents track baby activities, especially kangaroo care, and for clinicians to manage kangaroo-a-thons.
Today, The Zaky® is more than a brand—it’s a mission inspired by Zach’s journey to bring comfort, care, and connection to babies and their families. Our brand is our family’s story, and we invite you to be part of it.
In 2014, Oprah selected me for the prestigious Standing Ovation Award, recognizing how we turned a challenging experience into a force that lifts others.
Presented at the Toyota Center in front of over 15,000 people in Houston, Texas, this award showcased the profound impact of The Zaky® on babies and families, highlighting our mission to bring comfort and care to those in need, on behalf of Zach.
CBS documented Zachary's evacuation during Tropical Storm Allison, a pivotal event that inspired Nurtured by Design's mission. This is what really happen.
TNT later adapted his story into the movie "14:Hours", inspired in Zachary's survival. This is the Hollywood version.
In the movie, Zachary is "baby Jeremy", Yamile is "Amelia", and Larry is "Gary".
