Daniel Miguel Zessin

Daniel came into the world a 1lb, 12" long premature baby at DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, MI with the heart of a fighter. He spent the first 5 months of his life in the NICU until he came to live with us. He was loved deeply by his biological family but with his special needs they were unable to give him the care he required and reluctantly gave him up for adoption. He was our son from the minute we met him, and it was our privilege to call him our own. He passed away on the 20th anniversary of his adoption date. People have said he was lucky to be in our family, but we were the lucky ones to witness his strength and courage in facing his challenges. Throughout his life he faced adversity with a toughness and determination that amazed everyone who ever knew him. He went through health scares that he might not have survived, but Danny was never down for long. He would fight through and be back to his happy, smiling self, he was our Comeback Kid. On New Year's Eve, 2004, Danny was baptized at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Wyoming, Michigan, where he gained his loving god parents, Joe and Sandy Janecke and Lisa Zessin.

Even with his cognitive limitations and physical disabilities, he figured out how to accomplish whatever he set his mind to. He attended Kenosha and Lincoln schools for children with special needs in Grand Rapids, and Pathways School in Howell until his health prevented him from attending. When he was feeling good, he was always busy getting into mischief - pulling out his feeding tube, smiling, and laughing while he handed it to you. When he was younger and stronger he learned that if he lay on his back he could scoot around the house. He loved to pull diapers and pads off the shelves and scatter them around the floor. He was an expert stacker of checkers, DVDs, and blocks. He also loved to take his action figures and line them up in a straight line and then lay there until you acknowledged his great work. He would be so proud and have the biggest smile if you told him what a wonderful job he did. Later when he was able to sit in his wheelchair, he figured out how to move around the living room and get to where he wanted only using his one good arm. He loved to back up in his chair and get a running start and crash into the wall going as fast as he could all while laughing. He loved the sense of freedom being able to go where he wanted and was usually not very happy when it was time to get back to his bed.

Danny was not able to communicate verbally but he had his way of getting his point across. He had certain sounds he made and facial expressions that let you know what he was thinking. He also had an incredibly strong left arm that he used to arrange his blankets just how he liked them but also to move you out of the way if you were blocking his view of the TV. Football, hockey, baseball, and soccer were the main things on his TV, but he did take breaks for Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, and Bubble Guppies in the off season. He would laugh when the players would crash into each other and fall down, to him that was the funniest thing ever.

Daniel is survived by his loving parents, Mark and Lori Zessin, Grandparents Robert Janecke and Charlene Zessin, Siblings Melissa Sokolove (Adam), Jennifer Smith, Amy Fancher (Erik), Nicole Wenning (Josh), Ashley Shelley (Jason), Rebecca Zessin, and Madison Zessin, nieces and nephews JT, Sammy, Gibby, and Charley Sokolove, Austin (Jade), Camryn, and Sophia Fancher, Caleb, Carter, and Camden Wenning, and Taylor Shelley, Aunts Judy Kabodian, Lisa Zessin, Uncles Jim Janecke, Joe Janecke (Sandy) and Brad Zessin (Kristie), and many cousins who all helped with Danny's care, especially Aaron Kabodian and Taylor Janecke. He is preceeded in death by his grandparents Linda Janecke and James Zessin.

The Zessin family would like to extend a special thank you for the many doctors, nurses, staff at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and DeVos Children's Hospital for all of their support and care over the years, as well as Pastor Voss and Laurie for their dedication, support and prayers.

A visitation for Daniel will be held Friday, December 20, 2024, from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM at Memorial Lutheran Church, 1022 W Grand River Ave, Williamston, MI 48895, followed by a funeral service from 1:00 PM.