The Heartbreaking Story Behind Zack's Death On Days Of Our Lives
"Days of Our Lives" has delivered stunning moments and shocking plot twists over the years, and fans have grown accustomed to seeing some big drama in Salem. The NBC soap opera has given fans some happy and encouraging moments that they'll never forget, like royal weddings and presumed dead characters returning. However, there are times when the sudser has broken viewers' hearts, per Yahoo Entertainment.
"Days of Our Lives" has a history of sad character deaths, killing off some characters in absolutely heartbreaking ways. Characters like Isabella Toscano, who died shortly after giving birth to her son Brady Black, Lexie Carver, who passed away from cancer, or Bo Brady, who died in the arms of his wife Hope Brady, have also had emotional goodbyes.
However, there was one particular death that really had "Days of Our Lives" fans reeling and offered fans some of the most devastating scenes to watch. Bo and Hope's son, Zack Brady, was tragically killed and many fans still haven't gotten over it, per Soap Opera News.
Zack spent the first two years of his life separated from his biological parents
"Days of Our Lives" viewers may remember that Zack Brady's life was full of chaos right from the start. Zack's conception and birth offered one of the wildest pregnancy dramas to ever appear on the soap opera. It all started when Stefano DiMera's daughter, Lexie Carver, and her husband Abe were desperate to have a child. Stefano found a young pregnant woman named Marlo who was willing to allow Lexie and Abe to adopt her child, and the couple was thrilled, per Soap Central.
During this time, Bo and Hope Brady were also expecting their second child. The babies were born at the same time and after their births, Stefano decided to switch the children, per Soaps.com. Bo and Hope took home Marlo's son and named him JT, while Abe and Lexie left the hospital with Bo and Hope's baby boy, whom they named Isaac.
JT and Isaac were raised by their prospective parents for about two years until the truth was finally uncovered. The situation was heartbreaking as Bo and Hope were forced to say goodbye to JT and give him to his biological father, while Lexie and Abe turned over Isaac to their close friends and actual parents. Bo and Hope later called the little boy Zack, per Soaps in Depth. Sadly, Bo and Hope lost years with their son, only to have him taken away much too soon.
Bo's daughter was to blame for Zack's death
"Days of Our Lives" fans watched the Bradys build a home and family with Zack after the trauma of the baby switch. The family began to thrive and little Zack even bonded with his much older big brother, Shawn Douglas Brady, per Soap Central. Following Zack's birth, Bo also learned that the child that he and his ex-wife Billie Reed had conceived together had lived. Bo and Billie discovered their nearly grown daughter, Chelsea, and looked to connect with the troublemaking teenager.
Chelsea had a hard time fitting into Bo's family and things went from bad to worse when she borrowed her father's car one New Year's Eve. Chelsea was driving recklessly and texting while behind the wheel. Meanwhile, her younger brother Zack was at a sleepover when he heard a cat crying outside. The little boy left the house to check on the animal and while in the street, he was struck by Chelsea. The teen didn't think much of it, believing that she had hit a pothole and drove off, per Soap Opera News.
During this time, Hope had decided to go pick Zack up from his sleepover so that she could spend some extra time with him. She tragically found him laying in the street. Zack was rushed to the hospital and Lexie was forced to perform surgery on the little boy that she once cared for. Sadly, there was nothing to be done and Zack died.
Zack's death saved Claire's life
Bo and Hope found themselves in the middle of every parent's nightmare when they were forced to take their son Zack off of life support. The heartbreaking scenes were tough for many "Days of Our Lives" viewers to watch, but Zack's death saved his niece Claire's life. Zack's liver was donated to Claire, per Soap Central. Later Bo found out that Chelsea was driving the car that hit Zack and he decided to keep the information from Hope and protect Chelsea from the legal repercussions, per Screen Rant.
When Hope eventually found out that Chelsea was to blame for Zack's death and that Bo had covered it all up, she felt beyond betrayed. The situation led to Bo and Hope's split, per Soaps in Depth. However, they later reconciled and welcomed their third child together, a daughter named Ciara. Zack was later seen as a spirit who came to both Bo and Hope in the years following his passing, per Soaps.com.
Zack's death remains one of the most heartbreaking storylines to ever air on "Days of Our Lives," and one that fans will certainly not forget.