Maria Zak a Ukrainian Canadian artist. Her former citizenships include Russia and South Africa. Currently she works as a social worker, after making a switch from years of early education. It is her work with people of all ages and her diverse citizen history that feed her craft for creating art that can be relatable to anyone.Her writing career spans through the entertainment industry with a noteworthy documentary Changu, Dancer Among Shadows (2014) that won her best rising star and humanitarian awards. But life finally caught up, and instead of writing about others' lives it was time to tell her own story. Her first book is a memoir, Those Micro Preemie Eyes. In its launch it made a Canadian best seller status in the neonatal category. Sasha Zak is Ukrainian who lives with her family in Canada. Having immigrated through Russia, Israel and South Africa, she appreciates the colourfulness of her life. Today she is a therapist and program creator for children with disabilities. Disabilities is her passion and she has written a lot for it in the field.In her off time she works on screenplay writing for theatre and film. Recently she was honoured to have been included as co author in the book Those Micro Preemie Eyes that she believes can have a benefit in the medical service providing industry to young parents. As of the completion of the book she continues to advocate for services for former micro preemies.
"""Maria does not leave out any detail, and yet she tells her story with warmth and humour. She is honest about her mental, emotional and physical struggles as well as the limitations of the health care system she found herself in. Despite that, she speaks of the fellow parents, nurses and doctors she has met with empathy and respect. The NICU is not a place any parent would like to find themselves, and it is obvious that Maria, her husband and son have been greatly affected by their time there. However, as a reader, I am so encouraged by her determination to create something positive from her experience in writing this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who has friends or family going through a similar experience, or going through it themselves. A little bit of empathy and compassion goes a long way."" -Judy Bainbridge (UK) ""This is an incredible journey of resilience. At times heart wrenching it shows the love and bond a mother has with her child and the lengths a mother will endure for her child(ren). Highly recommend!"" -Jen Allard ( Canada) ""All healthcare professional schools should make this required reading on day one."" -Eric Smart PhD (Bloorview Clinic, Canada)"