Cancer Once Blamed on FPL Claims Jensen Beach Teen's Life

January 18, 2009

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-bn-0118jensen-te...

JENSEN BEACH - From a smirking little boy to a thrill seeking teen, Zack Finestone packed a lot into his short life.

Zack's mother, Rebecca Finestone, says they always found a way to defy the odds.

Thursday, the 14-year-old's defiance was over and his parents watched their only child slip away.

His mother remembers the final moments, saying, "We told him those waiting on the other side for him...how brave he'd been."
Zack lived a lifetime of bravery fighting neuroblastoma, a form of cancer, since was six years old.

His parents blamed the illness on contaminants from the Saint Lucie Nuclear Power Plant, owned by Florida Power and Light Co.

The family filed suit against FPL in 2003 and lost. Then, when they lost their appeal, they decided to stop blaming and changed their focus.

Scott Finestone tells NewsChannel 5, "We focused on living."

From the moment Zack learned his time was running out, he made the most of every moment: driving a Ferrari at 70 miles an hour, getting two tattoos, his ears pierced, and overall just having fun.

Zack refused to let cancer get in his way.

In an interview several weeks ago with NewsChannel 5's Ryan Lieber, Zack said, "I don't want it to ruin my dreams. Yea, Dreams are worth living for."

After living his life more fully than many twice his age, Zack quietly passed in his Jensen Beach home, still somehow wearing his signature smirk.

His father explains, "He finally looked at peace. He looked like, 'I know something you don't know. I'm in a better place."