On Wednesday, May 14th, 2025, the Celoria family’s world turned upside down.
Their sweet son, Owen, had been sick for weeks with off-and-on stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, shoulder aches, and fevers spiking up to 101.4°F. They were in and out of doctors’ offices and the ER, always told it was a GI bug or viral infection, and that he’d bounce back in a few days. But Owen wasn’t getting better.
At a 10:00 AM check-up with his primary care doctor, his parents pushed for more answers. The doctor ordered blood work, a nasal swab, and a urine test, then sent them for an ultrasound at Navarro Hospital in Corsicana, Texas.
Later that day, his parents received a call that would begin a life-changing journey. The doctor told them to head immediately to the ER—Owen was dehydrated and needed fluids. Once there, they performed multiple blood draws, CT scans of his abdomen and head, and then gave the Celoria family devastating news: Owen’s white blood cell count was over 247. A healthy count is around 13. He was dangerously anemic and struggling to breathe. They learned he was at risk of bleeding out or suffering a stroke. The medical team rushed to airlift him to Children’s Hospital in Dallas for critical care.
Upon arrival, Owen was admitted right away. He began receiving fluids, steroids, and antibiotics to bring his white blood cell count down and raise his hemoglobin and platelet levels. That night, the oncologists met with his parents and shared a possibility they never imagined: Owen may have leukemia.
On Thursday, May 15th at 4:00 PM, it was confirmed. Owen, a brave, funny, energetic boy had been diagnosed with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia—an aggressive blood cancer that begins in immature white blood cells in the bone marrow. He started chemotherapy that very night and remained at Children’s Hospital for a month, undergoing intensive treatment. During that trying time, his family stayed at the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas to remain close to his side. Over the past year, Owen’s family has traveled to Dallas weekly for his ongoing care, making our House a safe, comfortable and reliable home-away-from-home while they face this health crisis, together.
This journey has been long and challenging. Owen is a strong, courageous child and they are grateful RMHD has played a role in ensuring the family remains a unit. The survival rate for his type of leukemia is 80%. They continue to hold on to hope and faith every step of the way, in the House that LOVE Built in Dallas.
