Zack Rayner was the oldest son of Jeff and Jane Rayner. After his mother died of pancreatic cancer, Zack attended her funeral along with his father and younger brother Henry.
Hayley Cropper, a friend of Jane's who also had terminal cancer, met the boys and was alarmed by their upset over their mother’s confusion in her final days when she was heavily sedated. Later that day, Hayley's husband Roy decided to support her decision to kill herself at a time of her choosing rather than succumb to the illness.