By Hayden Garrett
Malachi Sherck’s first experience with a Riley Hospital for Children red wagon was when he was only one year old.
From the beginning to the very end, Riley Hospital and their staff were an important part of Malachi and his family’s life, even becoming friends outside of the hospital doors.
“When he was one he was asked to be the ringbearer at one of his nurse’s weddings and he rode a red wagon down the aisle,” said Malachi’s father, Christopher Sherck.
Last year on Dec. 12, Malachi passed away at Riley Hospital at age 19.
On Nov. 15, a new red wagon in Malachi’s memory will be launched in a special ceremony at Riley. These wagons are a $5,000 donation to Riley. The Sherck family was able to raise the money with help of Delta organizations such as the Chick-fil-A Leaders and a donation from the class of 2024.
When Malachi was born he was a completely healthy baby. Yet when he was only about a month and a half his intestines randomly twisted and he needed surgery.
Malachi’s parents, Christopher and Rachel Sherck, were told after surgery that doctors might be able to buy the family about four days with him. That then turned into 19 more years with their son.
He was able to live through a risky experimental liver and intestines transplant operation.
“It was an experiment, and he was the fifth kid in the world to ever have organs from not just a liver but intestines transferred from another living person to him,” Mr Sherck said.
Rachel gave her son not only life but part of her own liver and part of her intestines as she volunteered to be his donor.
After all of Malachi’s health complications he was diagnosed with autism and was nonverbal.
Despite this everyone knew and experienced Malachi’s love and his willingness to follow the holy spirit.
“I hope that someday I can listen to the holy spirit the way he did,” Mr. Sherck said.
His father said Malachi would sometimes give someone a hug or just look them in the eyes because all Malachi wanted to do was share love with others and understood that some people needed extra attention on hard days.
“A lot of people don’t understand this, but Malachi was one of my best friends because he loved me. I could tell,” said Malachi’s sister, junior Ruth Sherck.
Students who got to encounter Malachi also noticed his love along with teachers. Mr. and Mrs. Sherck said they never had to worry about sending Malachi to school knowing he had a great relationship with teachers and students.
“I think in general Delta loved my brother very well and the people involved in the special ed classes and he got to learn and grow and have a routine that he liked so I think it was a great place for him,” Ruth said.
Two teachers that stood out in Malachi’s life were special education teacher Mr. Shane Conley and agriculture teacher Mrs. Nancy Kunk.
Mr. Conley had Malachi starting his freshman year up until he passed during his fifth year at the high school. Mr. Conley saw Malachi’s love for his peers along with the school.
“I want everyone to know how much he enjoyed being at school and with his friends,” Conley said.
Mrs. Kunk had Malachi for four years. Coming into class every day Mrs. Kunk knew the impact Malachi had on other students. She started to notice that depending on the mood he was in the other students matched his energy.
After his passing the school didn’t leave the Shercks’ side.They have a large family of seven with a junior Ruth Sherck, 8th grader Gideon , 6th grader Lydia, and their two young foster kids but Delta helped the grieving family through it all.
“It’s the fact that Delta and the students and the whole community were there for our whole family,” Mr. Sherck said.
After hearing that they wanted to raise money and buy a red wagon in honor of Malachi, the Chick-fil-A Leaders club stepped up and held a 5k walk/run as a fundraiser.
The event last June, called Malachi’s Wagon Run, raised $2,853 in addition to $1,647 donated by the class of 2024. In total $4,500 was raised for the Sherck family.
The family decided to reach out to Delta before the wagon ceremony to say a big thank you. Mr, and Mrs. Sherck sent a thank you email to the school to give their gratitude. In the email they shared the reassurance and support Ruth found in school.
“When school could have been hard for our now Junior, Ruth, she found comfort in going to school and being near teammates, coaches, friends, and teachers,” they wrote.
They also explain just how heavily they appreciated how the school treated Malachi.
“Since Malachi’s passing, we are continually reminded of how our non-verbal autistic son was an equal and valued part of this school community.”
The wagon will be added to the fleet of wagons already at Riley on Friday, Nov. 15. It will be used to transport smaller children and equipment to make the hospital less scary for the kids.
The Shercks are glad they have a way to honor Malachi and give back to Riley.
The Sherck family loves Malachi and continues to miss him, but their faith gives them something to look forward to: seeing their son again in Heaven.
“For us our faith is that that grave is not where Malachi lays and that he’s with Jesus now,” Mr. Sherck said.
