The world of reality television often gives us glimpses into the lives of our favorite stars, but sometimes, those glimpses reveal truly heart-stopping moments. Fans of TLC’s long-running series, Little People, Big World, recently received an intimate and emotional look into one such harrowing experience: Zach Roloff’s emergency brain surgery in early 2023. As Zach and his devoted wife, Tori Roloff, reflect on the dramatic event a year later, their candid sharing offers a powerful testament to resilience, the unbreakable bonds of family, and the incredible journey from fear to triumphant recovery.
It was a terrifying time for the Roloff family, a period Tori bravely documented on her social media, sharing raw updates and heartfelt pleas for prayers. What began as a debilitating headache for Zach quickly escalated into a full-blown medical crisis, leaving his family, including their three young children, Jackson, Lilah, and Josiah, gripped by uncertainty and immense worry. Their recent reflections on their “Raising Heights” podcast, coupled with details from the Season 25 premiere of Little People, Big World, paint a vivid picture of the fear and eventual relief that marked this pivotal moment in their lives.
Zach Roloff, known to millions for his candid life on television, revealed during the Season 25 premiere of Little People, Big World, aptly dubbed “Sitting on a Knife’s Edge,” that he had been suffering from severe migraines for years. However, this particular migraine, which struck him one morning in February 2023, was different. It grew progressively worse, leading to vomiting and an urgent trip to the hospital. It was there that Zach and Tori received the startling news: there were two critical breaks in his shunt.
For those unfamiliar, a shunt is a hollow tube surgically implanted in the brain, designed to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid into another part of the body, typically the stomach, where it can be reabsorbed. Zach, who lives with hydrocephalus—a condition characterized by fluid buildup in the brain’s ventricles—had his first shunt installed at just 16 months old. While it caused him no problems in early childhood, issues began to surface in middle school, marked by intense pressure behind his eyes. He even underwent corrective surgery for the device back in 2006, during the very first season of Little People, Big World.
This time, however, the situation felt far more precarious. Tori expressed the immense emotional toll on the family, stating, “I had never seen Zach in that much pain before.” They learned that Zach’s shunt was an astonishing 16 years old, significantly exceeding the typical lifespan of 2-15 years. This discovery brought a chilling realization for Tori, who explained, “We’ve been sitting on a knife’s edge, and we just didn’t know it.” The revelation underscored just how long Zach had been unknowingly living with such a critical health risk.
Tori’s journey through this crisis was particularly poignant. She took to her Instagram Stories on February 7, hesitating initially but ultimately deciding to share the news and ask for prayers as Zach prepared for surgery. “They say it’s routine surgery but it’s far from my routine and Zach and I are nervous,” she candidly admitted, adding, “It feels big to us but we trust his doctors and their ability and knowledge! Any prayers are greatly appreciated!” Her transparency allowed fans to join her in sending strength and hope during a profoundly anxious time.
Just two days later, on Thursday, February 9, Tori shared a much-awaited update with photos of Zach recovering in a hospital bed. Her relief was palpable as she wrote, “Not exactly how we saw our week going…Zachary had emergency shunt revision this morning. It’s been a scary 72 hours but he is doing well and recovering!!” She expressed profound gratitude for the outpouring of support, saying, “Thank you so much to everyone for the prayers that you have covered us in. We feel them!”
Tori also made sure to praise the medical team, sharing, “We are so incredibly blessed by our neurosurgeon team and their attentiveness to Zach’s needs!” She extended her thanks to friends and family who offered help, singling out Zach’s mother, Amy Roloff, “for holding down the fort and playing hide n seek for who knows how many hours.” Her emotional update concluded with a powerful message of hope and admiration for her husband: “I’m here praying that Zach’s recovery is quick and easy and that this will be our answered prayers to relieving his migraines! You’re a freaking bad ass, Zach. You just had brain surgery… and handled it like a rockstar. I’m so proud of you. Jeremiah 17:14.”
Amidst the storm, Tori found a moment of profound spiritual comfort. She shared another Instagram Story, recalling how the weather had been “raining and miserable” during their time in the ER and ICU. But then, a ray of hope emerged: “Right as I got the call that Zach was out of surgery and things went well I walked back to his room with this view,” she wrote, alongside a photo of sun streaming through the hospital windows. For her, it was a clear message: “I felt like it was a sign that God was with us. The sun came out and it was a new beautiful day.”
Before Zach’s surgery, the Roloff family matriarch, Amy Roloff, had also stepped up, canceling her own Facebook and Instagram Live event due to the “family emergency.” She explained her decision, saying, “I’m sorry to cancel my Live tomorrow… But you know what? You have to rise to the occasion and I was happy to be able to for Zach and Tori.” Amy took on the crucial role of caring for her grandchildren, Jackson, Lilah, and Josiah, ensuring Tori could “be there” for her husband during such a critical time. She also asked for prayers for Zach, emphasizing, “We’re just hoping and wishing for the best with lots of prayers.”
Zach’s father, Matt Roloff, also shared his concern and asked for prayers, posting a throwback photo of Zach with his kids. He lauded Tori’s unwavering dedication, stating, “He’s in good hands with Tori advocating tooth and nail for his best interest… all prayers up please for Zachs successful recovery.” The collective family support showcased their deep love and unity in the face of adversity. Amy later shared her gratitude, saying, “I’m so very thankful for the community of my family and friends. So far so good and we’re praying his recovery is strong and goes well. I know he doesn’t want to be here again anytime soon.” She affectionately called both Zach and Tori “troopers.”
After a terrifying 72 hours and two days in the hospital, Zach was finally able to return home to his loving family on Saturday, February 11, 2023. Tori shared the joyous news with a heartwarming snap of Zach cuddling with his three children, exclaiming, “He is home!!” She again extended her gratitude, this time to the hospital staff: “Thank you endlessly to the staff at OHSU for helping @zroloff07 through this entire experience. They were exceptional and we are so grateful for them!”
While the shunt revision surgery was successful, Zach’s initial recovery presented significant challenges. He found himself severely limited in his activities, unable to lift anything over 10 pounds, prohibited from bending down, and needing to keep his head elevated above heart level at all times. These restrictions made it incredibly difficult to engage in playful activities with his energetic young children, a struggle that weighed heavily on him. He also admitted that every subsequent headache became “triggering,” fueling a constant fear that he might end up back in the hospital.
On the “Raising Heights” podcast, Zach reflected on a period leading up to the surgery where he had been suffering with “chronic and life-altering migraines for the last seven years,” the cause of which remained a mystery. They had visited the ER multiple times, but “blood tests, scans all came back clear.” Tori, however, always had a strong intuition that it was the shunt, despite Zach’s tendency to “downplay” his symptoms to doctors. This made her “scared” and “preparing myself for the worst” because she had no idea what was truly happening.
One particularly stressful moment occurred just after Tori welcomed their third child, Josiah, via C-section. She recalled her frustration with Zach’s initial “lack of help” when he had to drive himself to the hospital for medicine and then return home, unable to provide the support she desperately needed. “You were like the deadbeat dad that night,” she recounted, adding the heartbreaking detail of a nurse finding her sobbing because she couldn’t explain why her husband wasn’t there. It took a few more months and another hospital visit, this time to a specialist hospital, for the true problem to be identified: an out-of-date shunt and scar tissue blocking fluid flow, necessitating emergency “exploratory surgery.” Tori remembers the immense fear, stating, “It was really scary watching you get rolled away, not knowing.”
Despite the physical and emotional hurdles, Zach’s gratitude was profound. He openly praised Tori and his mother, Amy, for their unwavering support and for taking care of the kids while he was incapacitated. He also expressed a deep sense of guilt, feeling he hadn’t been proactive enough about his health and had unnecessarily scared his children. He confessed the heartbreaking thought, “It [would be] super sad to think that Tori would have to explain to [the kids] why isn’t dad here,” should he ever return to the hospital for similar reasons.
Now, a year after the terrifying ordeal, Zach’s condition has vastly improved. “Fortunately, Zach appears to be doing much better now and hasn’t had any other known medical scares since,” the reports happily confirm. On their podcast, a celebratory Zach shared the wonderful news: “We’re up on a year on that and I have not had a migraine since then.” This is a monumental relief for a man who endured chronic pain for so long.
Reflecting on the entire experience, Tori couldn’t help but recall a particularly poignant moment with their oldest son, Jackson. “I came home and he asked me, ‘Is dad gonna go to heaven? Is he gonna be with Papa?'” she shared through tears. “And I was like, ‘No I hope not.’ But that was a moment that was so hard to talk to my six-year-old about. We kept saying he’s sick like we did with Papa, and so he did have this moment of ‘I’m gonna lose my dad.’ and that was heartbreaking.” This raw honesty underscores the profound impact Zach’s illness had on the entire family.
But today, the clouds have parted. Tori beams with joy, telling Zach, “You are alive and kicking and doing your thing. Thank the Lord above.” Zach, too, is full of appreciation and a renewed sense of life. “I feel like that was a fun story, it’s been a year and we’re very celebratory about it,” he happily concluded. Amy Roloff echoed this sentiment in an exclusive update, saying, “Zach is doing great now. You would never have known… He’s playing soccer and coaching. He’s doing all sorts of stuff.”
The Roloffs’ journey through Zach’s emergency brain surgery is a powerful reminder of life’s unpredictable turns and the profound strength found in love, faith, and family. It’s a story of fear transformed into hope, pain into healing, and an invaluable lesson in cherishing every moment. As Zach continues to thrive, fans can undoubtedly look forward to witnessing more of this resilient family’s story unfold on Little People, Big World, which airs Tuesdays on TLC. Their openness offers encouragement and inspiration to anyone facing their own ‘knife’s edge’ moments, proving that with love and medical expertise, even the scariest chapters can lead to a beautiful new day.
