Davenport Teen battling cancer receives 'Man Cave' bedroom makeover
Owen Dangelser from Davenport is a teen who likes to be active and ride his skateboard. He likes music and playing video games.
When he was 12, he started to experience pain in his neck and arm. His mother took him to the emergency department where he was told he had a broken arm.
After that he visited an orthopedic specialist who said that the arm was not broken. As his pain got worse Owen's mom took him to the ER even more times and he kept getting turned away.
One morning Owen could no longer lift his arms. He was taken to the Stead Family Children's Hospital, Iowa City, to have an MRI. He then went in for emergency surgery and doctors found a cancerous tumor.
He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Doctors removed as much of the tumor as they could and started treating Owen with chemotherapy. Owen was sick at times but kept a positive attitude throughout his treatment and was ready to get back to normal. Eventually he was considered to be in remission. Because of his surgery, however, he was no longer able to play contact sports, which was harsh news. But he kept his positive attitude.
Three years later, Owen began to lose weight and was pale and sick. A pediatrician diagnosed him with mononucleosis ('mono.')
A month later Owen was still sick – he threw up every day. He went back to the pediatrician, and the doctor felt a supraclavicular lymph node. After an X-ray and blood work, Owen went back to an oncologist at the children's hospital. He then received a diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia, which was caused by one of Owen's chemotherapy medications.
Since then, Owen has been an inpatient receiving blood products and more chemo. He recently turned 16 years old in the hospital and finally returned home for the first time in around three months on Tuesday.
He came home to a surprise: Thanks to My Happy Place, a non-profit that creates spaces for people with serious health diagnosis, Owen has a brand-new room with all a teen could ask for.
Owen told Our Quad Cities News that he is thankful for the new room and glad to be back home for a week before he has to go back to the hospital to resume treatment. His mom, Melissa Dangelser, says her son is the reason she stays strong.
'I've been pretty emotional especially when he first got diagnosed and he's so strong and he doesn't allow me to be weak or sad,' she said. 'He says, 'Mom, you have to be tough.' He says, 'I'm gonna beat it'.'
Owen will eventually need a bone-marrow transplant. For now, he is focusing on feeling better in the moment. Over his week home he will enjoy his new room and the company of friends and family.
To learn more about My Happy Place click here.
Owen's profile on My Happy Place
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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