It takes more than medicine...

 
owen 1 may 23

Nothing Stops Owen and His Active Family

By Stephanie Rehberg, Communications Coordinator

Published May 1, 2023

 

This year, Hemophilia of Georgia (HoG) is celebrating 50 years of serving the bleeding disorder community. As part of our celebration, we are sharing stories from people in the bleeding disorder community whose lives have been positively impacted through the work of our organization.

owen 2 may 23

Meet Owen C., at only nine years old, he has an impressive list of athletic and academic accomplishments. Owen, who has von Willebrand Disease (VWD), and his two brothers, not only actively compete in soccer, cycling, and swimming, but also maintain straight A’s! Ryan C., Owen’s father, also has von Willebrand Disease but never let that hold him back. Born and raised in Georgia, Ryan played soccer for Augusta State College.

Having seen the pain his father has been through with joint damage leading to seven orthopedic surgeries, inspired Owen to be proactive with treating his VWD. With such an active lifestyle, Owen has learned to be mindful of even minor injuries he acquires and to be prophylactic in his approach to treatment, so he can continue to enjoy his favorite activities later in life. Owen said “it has been challenging learning to manage my bleeding disorder. Hemophilia of Georgia has helped me learn more about VWD.” Owen’s active lifestyle has earned him some impressive awards for his age. He won 1st place in the 10 & Under Non-Championship Race at USA Cycling Cyclocross Nationals, was a Fall 2022 Leading Goal-Scorer for a U10 Academy Soccer Team, and was accepted into the Gifted Program at Buford Senior Academy. His father Ryan stated, “The resources and programs that Hemophilia of Georgia (HoG) offers have gone a long way in helping Owen understand how to deal with VWD, not only how to accept it, but how to live with it and remain positive. Owen uses the educational information HoG has provided over the years as a starting point for discussions and any questions he has about his condition.” 

Owen also loves Camp Wannaklot! His father shared, “Camp Wannaklot has been so helpful to Owen. It is where he learned how to self-infuse and take charge of his health. When he acquired an injury from soccer, after attending camp, he knew exactly how to react.” Young Owen also told his father that when he gets older, he wants to volunteer as a counselor to help other kids with VWD live healthy, happy, and active lifestyles.

We think it is safe to say that Owen will make an outstanding counselor someday and we are looking forward to the day when we see him in that role.