Meet Owen, 11 Year Old Boy Living with Narcolepsy
Recently, I received a video from a mother of a young boy with narcolepsy. Warning: I cannot watch this video without crying.
Brooke describes:
“My 11-year-old son, Owen, was diagnosed with narcolepsy last spring. It was and is scary, and there just isn’t a lot of information out there, especially positive information! So you have given me so much hope and comfort. Thank you!
I wanted to share a little video I made about Owen a few months ago. He agreed to let me send it to his favorite band, Imagine Dragons, as they had sent out a request to hear people’s stories. Of course we didn’t hear back from Imagine Dragons because I’m sure they had a gazillions submissions. But the coolest part was that Owen let me send the video out to all his aunts and uncles and family members.
I look at the good you are doing by talking about narcolepsy and raising awareness, and look forward to Owen doing the same when he is ready.”
What a powerful yet graceful way of communicating about Owen’s journey. Owen and Brooke kindly agreed to sharing the video on my blog. Thank you for your bravery and strength. Please leave notes of encouragement for this young superhero below.
To all children and young adults with narcolepsy – you are overcoming invisible adversity daily and deserve to be very proud of yourself. Not everyone may understand, but I do and I’m cheering for you every day.
Tomorrow there’ll be so much to do
So tonight I’ll drift in a dream with you…
Additional Resources:
- Additional stories of children and young adults with narcolepsy
- Facebook Support Group for Parents of Children with Narcolepsy
- Facebook Support Group for Young Adults With Narcolepsy (YAWNs)
- Additional Narcolepsy Resources
Seventy years ago I wish I could have found someone to diagnose that I had narcolepsy. I fell asleep in my after noon class in the 8th grade I was almost 30 years old when a doctor said I probably had narcolepsy. Even in the sixties there weren’t that many sleep centers available. Living with Narcolepsy is not easy, but it was more frustrating knowing that no one believed that you could not control your sleepiness. D. L. Sands
I am so grateful for this. My son was recently diagnosed at 9 years old with Narcolepsy after the scariest and most difficult 18 months of our lives. It has been an uphill journey but I am so thankful for resources like these and for reading others’ stories, it really gives me hope. I wish my Jack and Owen could meet – these poor kids need to know they are not alone!