In the blink of an eye, Henry Owen's life was forever changed. After suffering a traumatic accident in June of 2018, Henry was rendered a bilateral above knee amputee, suffering the loss of both legs from amputation.  He has had to fight to regain his physical health as well as endure the difficult journey to emotional well-being.  Henry underwent intensive rehabilitation at Lutheran General Hospital to regain his strength and physical health after undergoing numerous surgeries. Henry continues his rehabilitation journey today by learning how to manage his wheelchair in the home and out in the community. He is beginning  prosthetic training as well as exploring adapted driving.

Prior to the accident, Henry was, and continues to be, an active and dedicated father, coach, and mentor, not only to his young sons, Amari (age 14) and Kai (age 10), but also to countless young athletes in his community.  Henry volunteered his time to coach basketball and football for the local Algonquin area teams.

Community Support
After the accident, Henry's wife, Melloney, and his family were overwhelmed by tremendous support from their family, friends, and community.  The local Pop Warner football organization, the Algonquin Argonauts, came together to build a wheelchair ramp to make the Owens home wheelchair accessible. A previous Go Fund Me page raised over $50,000 which helped pay for Henry's initial medical expenses.

How You Can Help
Local father and coach, Scott Kennen, along with a few young athletes  Kyler Kennen, Caden Monti, Colin Rytina, and Anthony Edge, decided to band together in support of Henry in his continuing journey of regaining his independence and normal everyday life.   Scott Kennen has donated his family van.  With the assistance and support of his employer, Midas, Scott was able to outfit the van with a wheelchair accessible ramp in order to allow Henry and his family easy access in and out of the vehicle.

Along with this, Kyler, Caden, Colin, and Anthony have plans to hold local fundraising events to raise money to support Henry, the Owens family, and their friend/classmate, Amari.

What the Funds are For

The goal of the fundraiser is to raise money to help pay for the expenses Henry will incur through the process of gaining back his freedom of mobility. He will also need to undergo driver's rehabilitation (not covered by insurance) to learn how to drive using various hand controls and other adaptations.  The ability to drive again will enable Henry to return to work and resume a degree of normalcy and independence after such a traumatic and life-altering accident.