New Update.

I never imagined I would be writing something like this.

Over the past years, I have walked a road that has been harder than I ever thought possible. I’ve faced two brain surgeries. The first took something from me — but I was still steady. The second took more. The treatments and medications that keep me here also make thinking, focusing, and remembering harder every day. My cognitive strength has been slowly changing, and that has been one of the most difficult parts of this journey.

I want to be honest: this message was not easy for me to write. My thinking isn’t as clear as it once was. I forget things. I lose words. I lose focus. Some days are better than others. I won’t pretend I didn’t have help putting this together — because I did. And accepting that help is part of where I am now.

The odds have not been on my side. Still, I continue forward.

What weighs on me most is not only my health, but my family. My wife. My children. We never had the protection of good insurance — when I was healthy, it was easy for companies to say no. When I became sick, it became impossible. That reality now stands in front of us.

I am not asking for millions. I am asking for something much smaller — a cushion, a layer of stability, a measure of security for my wife and my kids as we navigate whatever comes next. A small foundation beneath us during uncertain times.

If you are able to help financially, we are deeply grateful. If you are not, but you can share this with someone who might want to help, that means just as much. Every act of support matters.

I will continue to share this journey honestly — the good days and the hard ones. I am still here. I am still fighting. I am still hoping. But I am also preparing responsibly, and that is why I am asking for help.

Thank you for standing with us.

English

& Deutsch

My name is Owen. I'm an Irishman living in Germany with my wife and our two fantastic children.

In October 2024, I received a devastating diagnosis: Glioblastoma Grade 4 — an aggressive form of brain cancer. It turned our world upside down.

When I was 11 years old, I lost my own father. I didn’t know much about him — because he wasn’t there to tell me. That absence left a huge hole, a silence filled with unanswered questions. I would give anything to spare my children from experiencing that same emptiness.

Of course, I can’t change what’s coming. But I can leave something behind. Something personal. Something lasting.

That’s why I want to tell you about a wonderful organisation called Familienhörbuch (“Family Audiobook”). They offer a programme called "Die Stimme Ihres Lebens" – The Voice of Your Life. It gives parents with life-limiting illnesses the chance to record their life stories, their values, their love — in their own voice — for their children.

Thanks to them, I’ve done what my own father couldn’t: I’ve told my story. My voice, my words, a piece of me — preserved for my children when I can no longer be here with them. That gift has brought me immense comfort and peace.

Familienhörbuch is a charitable organisation. Their services are offered free of charge — but only made possible through donations.

If you believe, like I do, that every child deserves the chance to hear their parent's voice even after they’re gone — please consider supporting Familienhörbuch. With your help, they can give this irreplaceable gift to more families

Mein Name ist Owen. Ich bin ein Ire, lebe mit meiner Frau und unseren zwei wunderbaren Kindern in Deutschland.

Im Oktober 2024 erhielt ich eine niederschmetternde Diagnose: Glioblastom Grad 4 – eine aggressive Form von Hirntumor. Unser Leben stand plötzlich Kopf.

Als ich 11 Jahre alt war, habe ich meinen eigenen Vater verloren. Ich wusste kaum etwas über ihn – weil er nicht da war, um es mir selbst zu erzählen. Diese Leere, dieses Schweigen voller unbeantworteter Fragen, hat eine große Lücke hinterlassen. Ich würde alles tun, um meinen Kindern dieses Gefühl zu ersparen.

Natürlich kann ich nicht ändern, was kommt. Aber ich kann etwas hinterlassen. Etwas Persönliches. Etwas Bleibendes.

Darum möchte ich euch von einer wunderbaren Organisation erzählen: Familienhörbuch. Sie bieten ein Programm an, das „Die Stimme Ihres Lebens“ heißt. Es gibt Eltern mit lebensverkürzenden Erkrankungen die Möglichkeit, ihre Lebensgeschichte, ihre Werte und ihre Liebe – mit der eigenen Stimme – für ihre Kinder festzuhalten.

Dank Familienhörbuch habe ich getan, was mein eigener Vater nicht konnte: Ich habe meine Geschichte erzählt. Meine Stimme, meine Worte, ein Teil von mir – bewahrt für meine Kinder, wenn ich eines Tages nicht mehr bei ihnen sein kann. Dieses Geschenk hat mir großen Trost und Frieden geschenkt.

Familienhörbuch ist eine gemeinnützige Organisation. Ihre Arbeit ist für Familien kostenlos – aber nur möglich durch Spenden.

Wenn auch ihr glaubt, dass jedes Kind die Chance haben sollte, die Stimme seiner Eltern zu hören, selbst wenn sie nicht mehr da sind – dann unterstützt bitte Familienhörbuch. Mit eurer Hilfe können sie noch vielen Familien dieses unschätzbare Geschenk ermöglichen.