2021 Honored Patient: Owen
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Owen’s cancer journey started a little over a year ago - June 29, 2020, to be exact. When everyone else was shuttered at home trying to figure out exactly what COVID-19 was and what effect the pandemic would have on them, Owen's family - from Lakeville, Minn. - was hit with an even harder reality when their oldest son (now 9) was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma Stage IIIBS. They quickly learned cancer never stops, not even for a pandemic.
Prior to his lymphoma diagnosis, Owen, his family, and his medical team traveled together on a long and winding medical path marked with plenty of mystery and uncertainty. It started when Owen was experiencing a high fever, extreme fatigue, drenching sweats at night and weight loss. He was initially diagnosed with mononucleosis in March 2020, and hospitalized a month later with Warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (WAHA) in where autoantibodies attach to and destroy red blood cells at temperatures equal to or greater than normal body temperature. In hindsight, they believe this rare anemia was likely caused by his cancer. Once finally diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma Stage IIIBS, an advanced treatment plan was put into place. Patience, persistence, medical proficiency, and strength of conviction by not only the family, but everyone on the medical team, ultimately held serve over the cancer that had invaded Owen’s body. |
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Soon, through Children’s Minnesota, Owen’s attending physician, Dr. Nathan Gossai, was able to do a peer-to-peer review on a specific chemo treatment that was not normal protocol thanks to a critical research study of children with Hodgkin lymphoma that was completed about a year prior to his diagnosis. This treatment was determined to be the best path for Owen.
“It was important to minimize the long-term side effects from the treatments he received over the past year,” noted his mom, Jenny. “We are so grateful that Owen was given this “new” chemotherapy protocol for children because it will have less long-term effect on his lungs.”
Owen’s journey is the perfect shining light for everything Pine Tree Apple Classic Fund continues to accomplish - including providing groundbreaking research followed by more effective treatments - through funds raised at the Pine Tree Apple Tennis Classic.
“This was a life-changing experience,” Owen’s dad, Todd, said. “But having a wonderful team and being able to do life-changing research at their facility makes our experience more manageable. Jenny and I are both in the medical field. We can tell when professionals know what they are doing and are good at it. No one wants to go through this experience, but we are very glad we were able to go through it at Children’s Minnesota. Everyone there is great at what they do.”
According to Todd and Jenny, Owen became a mini celebrity at Children’s due to the difficulty of his case.
“Dr. Gossai and nurse Sara G. were his direct care team and were awesome,” Todd said. “Dr. Abdalgani from immunology was amazing trying to help Owen. Dr. Goubeaux was our diagnosing MD and was so caring.
“Lynn was our main PT therapist, and we cannot even begin to say how great she was for Owen. PT is not always a child’s favorite thing to do, but she made it fun for him and kept his attention so that he could continue to get his body closer to a normal kid of his age. The entire Hematology/Oncology group that we worked with was wonderful. We could tell that everyone loved what they did. They made it look easy, which was pretty amazing because they work in a tough field.”
“It was important to minimize the long-term side effects from the treatments he received over the past year,” noted his mom, Jenny. “We are so grateful that Owen was given this “new” chemotherapy protocol for children because it will have less long-term effect on his lungs.”
Owen’s journey is the perfect shining light for everything Pine Tree Apple Classic Fund continues to accomplish - including providing groundbreaking research followed by more effective treatments - through funds raised at the Pine Tree Apple Tennis Classic.
“This was a life-changing experience,” Owen’s dad, Todd, said. “But having a wonderful team and being able to do life-changing research at their facility makes our experience more manageable. Jenny and I are both in the medical field. We can tell when professionals know what they are doing and are good at it. No one wants to go through this experience, but we are very glad we were able to go through it at Children’s Minnesota. Everyone there is great at what they do.”
According to Todd and Jenny, Owen became a mini celebrity at Children’s due to the difficulty of his case.
“Dr. Gossai and nurse Sara G. were his direct care team and were awesome,” Todd said. “Dr. Abdalgani from immunology was amazing trying to help Owen. Dr. Goubeaux was our diagnosing MD and was so caring.
“Lynn was our main PT therapist, and we cannot even begin to say how great she was for Owen. PT is not always a child’s favorite thing to do, but she made it fun for him and kept his attention so that he could continue to get his body closer to a normal kid of his age. The entire Hematology/Oncology group that we worked with was wonderful. We could tell that everyone loved what they did. They made it look easy, which was pretty amazing because they work in a tough field.”
“But having a wonderful team and being able to do life-changing research at their facility makes our experience more manageable. Jenny and I are both in the medical field. We can tell when professionals know what they are doing and are good at it. No one wants to go through this experience, but we are very glad we were able to go through it at Children’s Minnesota. Everyone there is great at what they do."
Now cancer free, the future is extremely bright for Owen. He is anxious to start fourth grade at Oak Hills Elementary School this fall. He is a gifted student and a great kid who is busy playing sports and spending time with his brother Evan (6). Owen loves to read, watch TV, and play video games. He is amazing at LEGO builds, and not just the kits you can buy, but ones he designs and builds himself.
“When Owen came home after his first round of chemotherapy, he could not walk up the two steps to get from the living room to the kitchen or get into his bed himself,” Todd said. “When people see him today, aside from his scars, they would never know he is a cancer survivor as he continues to get stronger and stronger each day.”
All of us associated with the Pine Tree Tennis Classic are thrilled for Owen and his entire support team. You inspire many, including us.
“When Owen came home after his first round of chemotherapy, he could not walk up the two steps to get from the living room to the kitchen or get into his bed himself,” Todd said. “When people see him today, aside from his scars, they would never know he is a cancer survivor as he continues to get stronger and stronger each day.”
All of us associated with the Pine Tree Tennis Classic are thrilled for Owen and his entire support team. You inspire many, including us.