It's the "welcome home" 17-year-old Owen Hansen's been waiting for for 98 days."This is so much people," he said. "I didn't expect this at all."A motorcade of Owen's friends and family escorted the teen's vehicle to the Emanuel Lutheran Church in Council Bluffs, Iowa, for a "welcome back" celebratory party Thursday evening.Owen hadn't been home to Council Bluffs since February when a snowboarding accident paralyzed him from the shoulders down.Dozens of his classmates, teammates, friends and family filled the room to show their support.Owen spent the past three months in the hospital and at Madonna Rehabilitation."It's been tough. Therapies, waking up in the morning, half the day full of therapy," he said."The COVID rules were hard. It could only be me and my husband there the whole time and what 17-year-old boy wants to hang out with his mom and dad for 98 days?" said Owen's mom, Jolene Hansen.Doctors said he is well enough to be back, but he still faces a lot of therapy."So we'll have PT and an OT come to the house for the first four weeks," said Hansen. "Then we'll be taking him to Madonna in Omaha for rehab."His family is also trying to raise money to build a home that's accessible for him."We have to have a lot of special equipment to move him and for him to be able to do things on his own," Hansen said.The family is thankful for the community's support."It's pretty overwhelming. It just makes my heart very happy," Hansen said."It's amazing and unbelievable, really. Just how many people care," Owen said.
It's the "welcome home" 17-year-old Owen Hansen's been waiting for for 98 days.
"This is so much people," he said. "I didn't expect this at all."
A motorcade of Owen's friends and family escorted the teen's vehicle to the Emanuel Lutheran Church in Council Bluffs, Iowa, for a "welcome back" celebratory party Thursday evening.
Owen hadn't been home to Council Bluffs since February when a snowboarding accident paralyzed him from the shoulders down.
Dozens of his classmates, teammates, friends and family filled the room to show their support.
Owen spent the past three months in the hospital and at Madonna Rehabilitation.
"It's been tough. Therapies, waking up in the morning, half the day full of therapy," he said.
"The COVID rules were hard. It could only be me and my husband there the whole time and what 17-year-old boy wants to hang out with his mom and dad for 98 days?" said Owen's mom, Jolene Hansen.
Doctors said he is well enough to be back, but he still faces a lot of therapy.
"So we'll have PT and an OT come to the house for the first four weeks," said Hansen. "Then we'll be taking him to Madonna in Omaha for [outpatient] rehab."
His family is also trying to raise money to build a home that's accessible for him.
"We have to have a lot of special equipment to move him and for him to be able to do things on his own," Hansen said.
The family is thankful for the community's support.
"It's pretty overwhelming. It just makes my heart very happy," Hansen said.
"It's amazing and unbelievable, really. Just how many people care," Owen said.
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