13-year-old leukemia survivor announces Seahawks draft pick
Apr 29, 2019, 5:58 PM | Updated: 6:16 pm
Owen Church, 13, got to meet former NFL MVP Shaun Alexander. (Photo courtesy of Church family)
(Photo courtesy of Church family)
Childhood should normally a time of bliss, but Owen Church, now 13, of Jonesboro, Arkansas, received a diagnosis of leukemia at just 4 years old.
“It was definitely shocking news. We didn’t have any idea of what was in store for us,” Owen’s dad Brian Church told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson.
Owen spent the next two-and-a-half years in the struggle of his life at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.
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“Some days you couldn’t even get out of bed because you were so weak, and you didn’t even really want to move,” he said. “But St. Jude really helps with making the patient and the family very comfortable.”
By age 7, Owen fought off blood cancer. Now cancer-free for almost seven years, Owen has passed the crucial five-year mark and said he “should be in the clear.”
The return to health allows him to pursue his passion for sports — cross country, track, basketball, football, and soccer. He even runs a 5:36 mile.
Could he one day become one of the few athletes to run the four-minute mile?
“I’d love to see that happen,” he said.
Owen’s love of athletics extends beyond playing sports — he also enjoys watching games on TV. Despite the fact that he lives nearly as far from Seattle as you can get in the contiguous United States, Owen’s all-time favorite team is the Seahawks.
“My uncle actually lives in Seattle, and we love visiting him,” Owen explained. “Seattle is very pretty.”
Owen has been to the Pacific Northwest many times to see his uncle, who actually tried out for the Seahawks in the 1980s.
So when St. Jude asked him what his favorite football team was, Owen immediately responded with the Seahawks.
Unknown to Owen, the hospital contacted the NFL and asked if he could make announce one of the Seahawks’ 2019 draft picks this past weekend in Nashville.
After being introduced to the crowd by former Seahawks running back and NFL MVP Shaun Alexander, Owen got to the team’s second round pick of University of Utah safety Marquise Blair, the 47th overall pick.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking,” Owen said.
He plans to watch Marquise Blair throughout the coming season, as the two now share a common bond.
Owen had the chance to make the announcement slightly more memorable.
“A lot of my friends actually wanted me to say their name instead of a college athlete,” he laughed.
However, he doesn’t regret not pulling the prank.
“I think it’d be pretty funny, but they’d probably never let me do it again,” he said of the NFL.
The national announcement was just one of many achievements that make Owen’s family proud of their 13-year-old.
“Owen is a great kid, and he’s successful in a lot of areas of his life, including beating cancer, of course,” Brian said. “So we’re very proud of him and everything that he’s accomplished so far.”
