The latest on ‘young warrior’ Owen, a 5-year-old diagnosed with brain condition and rare cancer
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IDAHO FALLS — The name “Owen” means “young warrior.” And that is exactly what 5-year-old Owen Sanchez is.
EastIdahoNews.com has been following Owen’s story, which has been filled with intense health struggles over the last few months.
In November, Owen and his family were the recipients of a Secret Santa surprise after Owen was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a large amount of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain, and Dandy-Walker syndrome, a congenital condition where the back of the brain that is responsible for balance and movement, does not develop normally.
In January, Owen started exhibiting odd symptoms again, causing his parents to rush him to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, where doctors found multiple tumors along his spine.
“(The tumors are) affecting his nervous system, which explains his leg, eye and face issues,” said Alejandro Sanchez, Owen’s father, at the time. “It’s unrelated to the problem with his brain, but we’ve now realized that the hydrocephalus was a tender mercy that led us to find the tumors.”
Since we talked to the family, doctors discovered that Owen had “a rare and aggressive type of CNS melanoma,” according to Sanchez.
According to Sanchez’s Facebook updates, the cancer is internal and the cells have traveled up his spine and onto his brain.
“There have only been 10 pediatric cases reported worldwide and unfortunately, none of those kids have made it,” says Sanchez in the post. “We chose to not dive into timelines.”
Since then, Owen has been going through grueling radiation side effects and complications, including breathing problems, balance issues, weakness, fatigue, and more – all on top of his diagnoses.
Owen’s mother, Alexa, has been documenting Owen’s health journey on TikTok, encouraging people to “meet Owen” as she tells their family’s story.
Because Owen is such a tough warrior, loved ones have come together to share his infectious spirit and resilience and ask the community for their help.
T-Shirt Fundraiser
Sarah Peterson, Owen’s aunt, tells EastIdahoNews.com that her family member, Holly Clayton Larsen, reached out to her about making t-shirts to sell and support the Sanchez family.
Larsen, who owns a t-shirt making business, designed the shirts, which feature an adorable cartoon Owen and the signature phrase #OwenTheWarrior.
“(Owen) is the sweetest little boy. He’s just as sweet as they come, and that’s the hardest part of watching this all, is just seeing how much it’s changed his demeanor,” says Peterson. “We’re really hopeful with everything that Owen will be the first to (beat this cancer) and just praying every day that he’ll be okay.”
If you’d like to order a t-shirt to support Owen and his family, email Larsen at Larzhj@msn.com, or message her on her Facebook page here.
Children’s t-shirts are $15, and adult t-shirts are $18. If you’d like to donate to the family directly, you can find Alejandro Sanchez’s Venmo account here.
Peterson says the family and fundraiser organizers would love to see pictures of the community in their t-shirts posted to social media using #OwenTheWarrior.
“He went from this cheerful, happy, bright boy to just…really sad and always in pain,” says Peterson. “Then for him to have to go through that, it puts such a toll on his mom and dad.”
Raffle Fundraiser
Close friends of the Sanchez family have set up another fundraiser, raffling off items from local businesses to support Owen and his family.
Jose and Sandra Escobar hope to bring as much support to the Sanchezs as possible due to the family’s kindness and the joy they have been known to spread.
“Alejandro, if you meet him, he’s super full of happiness, he’s just joyful. Whoever you are, he’ll run up to you and give you a hug,” says Jose. “Alexa is a super caring mom…just the way she looks after her kids, she’s willing to do anything to take care and provide for her family. I think that’s our main goal, is to be supportive.”
To enter the raffle, you can send entries via Venmo to Sandra Escobar here. Make sure to include your name and which raffle bundle you are entering for, and see the image below for details.
The raffle will run through Friday, April 4, and winners will be announced and contacted directly.
The Escobars are thankful to the local businesses that donated their time and efforts to the fundraiser and say they are happy they get to help their friends in their time of need.
“Sometimes you just want to reach through the phone and give (Owen’s parents) a hug, and check on them,” says Jose.
As for the Sanchez’s, they say the outpouring of love and support from the community has been astounding, and they can’t thank everyone enough for the support they’ve received.
“I think our community has shown us that love goes beyond differences, challenges, or just how well we know each other. It’s humbling to know that everyone is going through their own trials, yet they still choose to support, love, and pray for someone they have never even met!” says Alejandro. “It’s hard to live a “normal life” in the midst of something like this, but we know we have our community, our family, and our friends to lift us up. We will forever thank them and love them from the bottom of our hearts.”
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