The Gap No One Else Was Filling | Holly Schwab | Zach's Toy Chest

Holly Schwab's nine-month-old son Zach had a grapefruit-sized tumor attached to all his major organs, including his aorta. They were within a month of it spreading.

That was 2008. Zach is now 19, cancer-free, and the namesake of a nonprofit that's been collecting toys for hospitalized kids for 16 years.

In this episode, Holly walks through Zach's neuroblastoma diagnosis, why she switched oncology teams at Duke, and the moment doctors closed Zach's file without telling her because she got a second opinion at Sloan Kettering. We talk about the $12,000 CT scan bill after insurance, why her husband got fired during Zach's treatment, and how she noticed a gap no one else was filling - kids stuck in treatment chairs for 7-12 hours with nothing but crayons meant for older children.

Holly started Zach's Toy Chest to fill that void. Now they serve Duke, UNC, emergency rooms, clinics, and even life flight helicopters across North Carolina. She shares her hardest lesson (not everyone wants to help you), why she never gatekeeps nonprofit advice, and the importance of infant and teen donations - the age groups everyone overlooks.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Zach's Toy Chest: zachstoychest.org
• Donation options: One-time or recurring ($10/month makes a big difference)
• Volunteer opportunities: Toy sorting, courage card making, event support
• Hospitals served: Duke, UNC (Wake Med), emergency rooms, clinics across NC
• Upcoming events: Golf Tournament (May 4th), Summer's Night with Santa (late July/early August)
• Ronald McDonald House (Duke and NYC Upper East Side locations)
• Duke Law Clinic (helped with 501c3 paperwork)
• Amber Smith / Activate Good (YouTube resources for starting nonprofits - 200-300 free videos)
• Sloan Kettering (NYC - Upper East Side, neuroblastoma specialists)

Support the show

🔗 My Links:

• Email story ideas to [e-mail]
• Follow / DM on Instagram: www.instagram.com/allupinyourbusinesspod
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@AllUpInYourBusinessPod

Become a Supporter of the show for as little as $3 and get exclusive access to shows early, special interviews, and updates from guests! Support the show here