“Owen had a 0% chance to survive. God left him here for a reason. And I truly think it’s to inspire others,” his mother Susan shares.

When Owen Mahan was just two years old, he faced an unimaginable ordeal. Living in Lawrence, Kansas, Owen’s mother placed him in a bathtub filled with scalding hot water. Tragically, she waited two hours before seeking medical help. By the time he was flown to Shriners Children’s Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, Owen had sustained second- and third-degree burns over 98% of his body.

Doctors were not hopeful about his survival. However, as his adoptive mother Susan Mahan recalls, the team at Shriners Children’s Hospital gave her the assurance and support she desperately needed.

Susan, a resident of Brownsburg, Indiana, met Owen soon after the accident. When she first saw him, she remembers, “He was burnt, he had sores all over him. He was just a mess… But I needed to know that I could provide for him. And Shriners let me know they had that part covered.”

Now a resilient 16-year-old, Owen has undergone 47 surgeries, with his first rounds dedicated to cleaning his wounds and removing dead skin. He has also had many skin grafting procedures and is a bilateral, below-the-knee amputee, requiring continuous care and surgeries.

Susan, a devoted mother of nine and grandmother of seven, has become adept at managing Owen’s care between hospital visits. Despite the numerous surgeries that lie ahead, Shriners remains committed to supporting Owen until he stops growing, around the age of 21.

Jessica Wagner from Shriners Children’s Ohio emphasizes that their commitment to Owen extends through