Hit Hard: One Family’s Journey of Letting Go of What Was–and Learning to Live Well with What Is

Life hit Pat and Tammy McLeod hard when their son Zach collapsed on a high school football field; he had sustained a severe brain injury. Facing the devastating possibility that things would never be the same for their beloved son, they committed to staying strong as a family and finding a way to maintain their footing. But the journey would reshape their faith, their family, and their future in ways they never saw coming.

What would it take for them to navigate the endless fallout of their son’s life-transforming injury? How could they reconcile their grief over the life Zach lost, with gratitude for the life that remained? And how does a couple move forward together in their search for hope, rather than letting indefinable loss drive them apart?

Hit Hard is the true story of the McLeods’ journey through ambiguous loss?both having and not having their son. It’s the story of a family who faced unexpected heartbreak, a story that offers us all glimpses of how we can pick up the pieces, redefine expectations, and trust God for hope in the midst of unresolved pain.

Pat McLeod serves as a Harvard chaplain for Christian Impact and Athletes in Action. He is also the director of Cru Boston, a caring community that is passionate about connecting people to Jesus. A native of Montana, Pat studied natural science and played football at Montana State University. Since joining the staff of Cru in 1984, Pat has helped launch and lead campus ministries in California, Japan, Montana, and Russia. He combines a love for teaching, coaching, and building teams with a passion for mentoring and ministering to the moral, spiritual, and religious lives of students. Pat created and helped teach an award-winning philosophy course in science and religion at Montana State University. At Harvard, he served on a team of American and South African students and faculty who created the Mamelodi Initiative, an organization focused on improving the lives of residents in South African townships. Pat holds a master's in theological studies, a master's in science and religion, and a PhD in practical theology.

Tammy McLeod, a Harvard chaplain for Cru and the director of college ministry for Park Street Church in Boston, often speaks, teaches, and writes on spiritual formation, prayer, and ambiguous loss. She is a founding member of the Mamelodi Initiative in the township of Mamelodi, South Africa—a project that connects Harvard students with AIDS orphans and other at-risk youth in a mentoring and educational program to prepare them for college. Tammy received her master of arts in spiritual formation in May 2016 from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

She and her husband, Pat, have been married for 36 years and are parents to four grown children. To learn more, visit PatandTammyMcLeod.com.