Owen’s Army

Owen’s Army updated their info in the about section.

Owen’s Army updated their website address.

Owens classmates! Owens momma made t-shirts for them all!

PLEASE TAKE TWO SECONDS TO SIGN THIS PETITION!!

Can you spare a minute to help Tara Coombs? 99 signatures are still needed! More than 4% federal funding for childhood cancer

Scan results!

Last night I was checking Norton mychart to see if they posted the results because we never got a call. And I saw the scans, no results posted, but a new appointment made for us next week. So naturally I lost my mind, and called the on call oncologist late last night and asked what the heck was going on.

Owens scans came back still NED - no evidence of disease! He still has a very small piece of his lung that was collapsed which we knew about 6 months ago, but they said it would heal on its own. She will check for me and review previous scans and see if it’s the same spot or a different one. If it’s the same she said it could just be scar tissue from all the radiation and sedation.

And the appointment next week is to go over port removal and schedule surgery for him to get his port removed! 💗💗💗💗

Thank you for all the prayers and love!!!

🎗🎗🎗🎗🎗🎗🎗🎗

Sorry we’ve been MIA for a while.

To be honest it is a lot to keep everyone updated all the time and we’ve all had some mental health struggles since Owen stopping Chemo. and to be completely honest, maybe I was trying to forget that we had this page and that Cancer didn’t happen all together. I know that sounds silly but it’s the truth.

We’re doing better now and want to let OwensArmy know that.....

Owens scans are Friday. They are his first set of scans since stopping Chemo. Would you send us some prayers our way for comfort and for the scans to pick up everything needed to see. We’re pretty nervous and feel sick to our stomachs over it but non the less God is good. If our scans come back bad, even so, God is still good.

We will update here with the results when we get them. His scans are lunch time Friday so I’m really hoping to get a call Friday, but they might make us wait until Monday.

Here’s a recent picture of the kids loving on each other ❤️

I really want to say such a heartfelt thank you. We’ve had so many people really step up for us. We had a group of amazing people send us a double stroller we really wanted and another group send Owen a swing set for Christmas. Then a few weeks ago I had a group of people send me a bunch of stuff to help with mental health and relaxation. We haven’t gotten to send thank you notes yet but we will.

I want you all to know, when you comment on Owens posts, I read them all. Every single one. When you message me, I appreciate it so much. When you can tell something is off and message me to talk and let me know your there for us. It means so much more than you all can know.

I have really been “crab like” through Owens journey... Not reaching out to anyone, feeling alone and miserable and ashamed I felt that way. I want you to know. That each of you made a difference in our lives. If you just comment and like the posts, that still counts, we still are moved by your love and words. We love and appreciate you all so so much and I can never thank you all enough for your love and encouragement through this hellacious journey. I am so much so praying it’s over.

If these scans come back good, Owen will be able to get this port taken out!

So seriously, Thank you for being a part of We love you all.

We've had a few people ask for both of the kids Chirstmas wish lists, here they are!
Taylor - https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/SLEHF13BE9IT?ref_=wl_share
Owen - https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2TW1IQCIX0JWL?ref_=wl_share

Here's a throwback of before I shaved my head to raise funds for the Novak Center! 💗💗🎉🎄🎗🎁

Guys I am sorry I haven't responded to messages. My mind is really struggling. I just finished Owen's poster and getting balloons together for tomorrow. We totaled up some of the things he's had done and wow.
Chemotherapy visits - 34
MD visits - 65
Actual emergency situations - 5
Being in Isolation while at the hospital - 16 times
IV infusions - 37
Overnight stays at the hospital - 14
Finger Pokes or being accessed - 119
Radiation - 9
Being Fully sedated - 13 (9 were back to back days)
Scans & Heart Echo's - 13
Medication Challenges - 97

We are so excited for tomorrow and so scared at the same time. Please keep our mental health in your prayers as well as giving God the glory for getting us through the toughest times of our lives.

TODAY IS TRANSPLANT DAY FOR JOEY AND Tosha LeCompte Tillett!!!!

Please keep them and their families in your prayers! They also have a GFM for the medical costs from today for Joeys life saving treatment as well as afterwards as his body adjusts to Toshas donated kidney!

Joey has a family and a small child as well and I know they could use the help!

https://gf.me/u/y2a4ih

WE LOVE YOU TOSHA!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

We’re wearing green for you all today!

Owens Army is so proud of you guys!

Joey's FIGHT is OUR FIGHT! Help with a Transplant!, organized by Tara AndJustin Coombs Joey was diagnosed at 20 years old with a genetic kidney dise… Tara AndJustin Coombs needs your support for Joey's FIGHT is OUR FIGHT! Help with a Transplant!

This is from this morning

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJ5A4jEK/

Tara Coombs on TikTok .henry22 .jt

Owen will finish Chemo THIS MONTH!!! We have been so blessed and so in awe of everyone's donations we appreciate each and everyone of you so much. Every dollar counts for us. That $10 dollar donation, we are so grateful for. That $1500 donation, we are so grateful for. We just want to share our love and our testimony with you for a moment.

We know that our Savior loves us and loves Owen and Taylor. We have been going through the hardest times of our life. The most trying and most broken times. The darkest times you can imagine. Please know this. Our Savior has never left us. He has been there, unseen; by our sides from the beginning. Giving us strength and love and comfort and giving Owen the endurance to continue the good fight.

He has blessed us abundantly with everyone's donations and placing Owens needs on peoples hearts to give to this campaign or get him or taylor something off his wish list.

You can keep up with his story on his page, but this will probably be our last update on the GFM page.

We sincerely thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. Your donations have made all the difference for our family. We could not have made it without them. Thank you all so so much.

Owen's Fight Against Cancer., organized by Rhonda Richins The sweet Coombs family needs your help. Please see what she wrote on the evening of 3/10… Rhonda Richins needs your support for Owen's Fight Against Cancer.

Something so small, a dollar each. Makes such a difference to a momma. 💛💛💛

💥💥For some reason it’s not letting me share the post from the Byrd Family! It’s on my personal page if you want to see the video! This was my response below! 💥💥

Y’all! The Byrd has done some amazing things for us without even knowing us!! Such great people!! 💗💗💗 They actually raised a little over 10k for us to put towards the new van!

If you need anything done, they own Advanced Grounds Maintenance, LLC and they do phenomenal work! ❤️❤️

We would love to give them some new business! I know someone seeing this needs a new fire-pit built!

IF YOU HAVE DONATED TO US, FOR A VAN OR FOR THE MEDICAL FUND...

💥💥💥AND YOU OWN A BUSINESS...💥💥💥

PLEASE COMMENT BELOW THE LINK FOR THE FB PAGE OR YOUR WEBSITE SO WE CAN POST IT!!!

💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

Asking for our prayer warriors to come back out! Our friends need you.

💗PLEASE SHARE THIS POST, COMMENT AND TAG YOUR FRIENDS IF YOU LIKE SO IT WILL GET MORE VIEWS AND GET THEM THE PRAYERS THEY NEED💗

Will you please add Sophia Foree, AND her mother Mirian to your daily prayer list? Sophia is treating for Leukemia, and will be inpatient for a week and could use to be lifted. Mirian is in hospice care and the end of her earthly days are near, and Sophia will not be able to see her mother while she is inpatient treatment. I am sure this will be hard on them both.

Would you please pray for peace, for comfort, for neither of them to be uncomfortable, and for them both to feel the overwhelming power of our prayers and love. Please pray for anything that you feel prompted to as well!

The lord works in your hands friends.

Please lift these fellow believers and make our presence known. Sophia and Mirian, Owens Army is with you and we will pray for your full recovery with great speed and that you will see miracles before your own eyes.

Guys, so we have some pretty exciting news, but we need some ideas!!

After Owen finishes his treatment next month, this page, , will move to a nonprofit charity!

Since Christmas is right around the corner, I would like to take lots of things to Norton Children’s, and the Novak Center. It can be unopened toys that your kids didn’t want or art sets, anything but it has to be new to donate to them. Also, we want to have preschoolers or schools apply for buddy benches to be put at their locations.

Basically, If it is a positive idea that will promote inclusion for all abilities of children and adults, and most importantly kindness —- WE’RE INTERESTED IN HELPING!

We were thinking of doing an angle tree of our Novak Center nurses and staff. Would you sponsor a gift of $15 to an Oncology nurse?

Send your ideas! We would love some input!








Owens getting another round of platelets today at Norton Downtown 💗

We want to thank everyone so much for all their help and fundraising and donations towards the van!! We just wanted to give an update! We got a walk out the door price and we’re about $4000 short still.

So we’re trying to get creative and see what we want to do, if we want to start all over again on the search or if we want to still pursue it. We looked at and drove a lot of them and decided on this one so I’m thinking we will still try to pursue.

We know lots of people are wondering what’s going on or if we’ve bought one yet so we wanted to update you all!

Owens numbers are down, like 0 immune system down, so we can’t just go out and drive some and shop around other than online at this moment. For perspective, his grandparents are doing through the window visits right now.

We go back tomorrow to Norton Children’s Downtown at 9am for another infusion for him. They will check his numbers again and hopefully they will be coming up this time. 🤞🏼🤞🏼

Will update more tomorrow!

Sending all our love, thank you to our amazing village! 💗

Here’s there billboard at our amazing Infusion Center! ❤️❤️❤️

This is the reality.

Your kid has cancer. You meet and follow some amazing people and families. Some remain friends for life. You follow their stories and ache for them as you do your own child.

Just a few days ago we shared about sweet faith gaining her well deserved wings, and now sweet Callie is getting set up for hospice care.

We feel so broken for these children and their siblings and parents.

Cancer does not discriminate. Children are hit hard. And they still only get 4% of funding for pediatric cancer research.

Please keep Callie and her family in your prayers. 💔

Here’s our Owen update! He seems to be feeling okay, but he is covered in bruises.. Therefore he needs platelets. So... we are headed in tomorrow first thing in the morning to the Novak Center for Owen to get platelets. . . in downtown Louisville.

The Novak Center called us to tell us they canceled all other appointments other than infusion or chemo.

Justin and I will be going down together while my mom watches Taylor girl.

We’re a little uneasy but just know that we wouldn’t be going if it wasn’t necessary for him. And it is. So we shall.

Will update tomorrow. 💛

This is what it looks like at 1am, and you don’t feel good, and you found a splinter you demand comes out this second; and then you make your mom hold you in this very awkward position while you watch your “pad” (kids fire) until you feel good enough to go back to sleep. (Last night)

PLEASE SHARE THIS 🥰

WE HAVE SOME AMAZING FRIENDS, AND OWEN AND TAYLOR HAVE SOME AMAZING GOD PARENTS.

THEY COULD USE SOME SUPPORT FOR THE SURGERY COMING UP AS WELL AS AFTER. THEY WILL BOTH BE OFF WORK FOR A WHILE, AND SHORT TERM DISABILITY ISN'T DOING ANYTHING.

JOEY HAS TO HAVE THE TRANSPLANT.

POINT BLANK.

HAS TO.

PLEASE GO OVER TO HIS PAGE, SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS, AND SEND SOME PRAYERS UP FOR THEM AS WELL.

*Fun fact, when I first found out about Joey and I went over to his page and I thought... They used Owen's saying... No big deal.... Turns out their page has been up since before Owen had Cancer! I guess its more popular than you think!

It's good to know that in this community, NO ONE FIGHTS ALONE.

Joey's FIGHT is OUR FIGHT! Help with a Transplant!, organized by Tara AndJustin Coombs Joey was diagnosed at 20 years old with a genetic kidney dise… Tara AndJustin Coombs needs your support for Joey's FIGHT is OUR FIGHT! Help with a Transplant!

Update!
We just got to talk to his MD and they said we are okay to go home after his neulasta shot!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

This morning when changing Owens diaper, he had a good amount of blood in his diaper. ☹️ So I immediately called his MD and they said to prepare to stay when we got to his appt and to be admitted to Norton’s Downtown Children’s. So we packed the car down with the luggage and all and gave daddy extra big hugs.❤️

His MD examined his stool and thinks he has a small tear or a hemorrhoid causing the blood and gave us another type of stool softener and to give it 2x a day.

Thank you so much for all your prayers this morning, we were pretty freaked out. Cancer really does suck. It makes you jump at every little thing and everything is SO much more serious because of the Cancer and the port in his chest. I’ll be so happy when he can get it taken out so we don’t have to worry as much about a possible infection turning into something deadly quickly.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

As we are heading in for Owens appointment this morning we are preparing to stay. We could use a couple extra prayers at this time hopefully we get to come back home 💗




Here’s Owen fishing this past weekend 😍

We just stopped at the carwash and we are at a loss for words. Cars are lined up as far as they can. A ton of people were washing/drying/taking donations/holding signs and helping one another. Let’s mention that we JUST MET them!!! These are some amazing people and we are so blessed to have them come into our life 💗

Damon and Shelly Byrd with Advanced Grounds Maintenance, LLC have put all this together, and we can’t possibly thank them enough. 💗

It’s going on until 3pm if you need your car washed!!

If anyone wants to see what a port needle looks like.... Here it is.

Yep. That’s massive.

Owen had a good day yesterday but today he is OFF THE CHARTS with seeking behavior. He even bit me, which he hasn’t done since he finished teething. Plus he got up at 2am and didn’t go back to sleep last night. Taylor was up multiple times too as well. We’re tired y’all, like close your eyes for .02 seconds and out like a light tired.

Tomorrow is the last day of this in a row... Eyes on the prize... Tomorrow, we can’t wait for you.

Guys, we’re so freakin excited.

Owen started a new nerve pain medication (due to neuropathy from Chemo medication 😩) and he slept all night for the first time in LITERALLY I HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG IT’S BEEN.... 🤷🏼‍♀️

We shall see if it’s a fluke or if it persists.

Also, to brighten your day.... I’m wearing HOUSE-SHOES to chemo today... 🤦🏼‍♀️ I guess I was so caught up in getting him to take all his medication and getting the car ready that I forgot to actually put real shoes on.. . So, that’s happening.

How’s your morning so far? Don’t forget to do something nice for someone else today! It can be smiling at a stranger, paying for a meal in front of you in line, calling an elderly person to just chat for a bit. It doesn’t have to cost money! Kindness costs nothing!! Let us know what your up to in the comments!

💗💗💗

Owens taking a much needed nap and not eating or drinking very much. When we head home we will be stopping by “Donald’s” to get “fry frys” - he usually eats those 💗

Thanks for all your prayers and love ❤️

Don’t forget to do something nice for someone else today!!

Well, Owen threw up twice last night around 4am. There’s a positive and a negative to this. Positive is we can give him a second medication for nausea, Benadryl. (Before this I had no idea you could use Benadryl for nausea)! Negative is that we gave him Benadryl this morning... so we shall see how this goes.

He hasn’t thrown up in his carseat yet so that’s a good sign. 💗

We appreciate all the love and prayers and all of our amazing new friends. We love having you in our tribe. 💗

We post tiktoks of Owen pretty often, if I can remember we will share some on here, but you can check them out if you want 💗

Owen got his “Little Wish” granted and it’s amazing y’all! Here’s the tiktok of him getting it!! https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJAwKFyD/

Tara Coombs on TikTok

ON OUR WAY TO CHEMO!!!

Well, we’re starting our first day out of five today. Owen goes every day this week for the 8 hour days again. 💔 On a positive note, this is our last full week, everyday like this. 🙌🏼

Of course we would ask for your prayers for this week and to keep him occupied and happy and feeling well, but we are asking for prayers for Callie.

Callie needs your prayers more than Owen does right now. Please say one for them both. I would love to say I can’t even imagine what her parents are thinking right now, but we’ve thought about moments like this for her over and over again, so I can absolutely imagine it.

Please pray for peace for her parents and sibling and for her parents to know Gods will. Please send all the love to her and her parents. Please pray for Callie to be pain free and for comfort for her. Her page is below. 💔🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

ALSO,

We have ONE homeless bag left! That’s 60 bags given out in Louisville, because of you all!!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 Here’s the link if you want to get something off the list for the homeless, and if you want to donate backpacks, we just ask for a large backpack (not elementary size)!! If we’re close we will try to come get but porch drop off would be better.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/13LNSG48P6BI1?ref_=wl_share

Does anyone have any experience setting up a fundraiser for our expenses and a newer-ish van?

Were wanting to have something like maybe a car show or tractor show, with booths to shop, live music and food trucks. As well as a blood drive, and a hair donation station. Possibly a silent auction?

Help a girl out.

I have 10,000 things going on and I haven't the first clue about setting this up.

I was thinking in downtown La Grange, or maybe Henry or Oldham fairgrounds, since people can spread out better?

Comment your ideas, and send me a PM if you want to be a vendor at it!

I literally have zero idea what I am doing, and it will never happen because of that. Please send help.

As always, thank you for being a part of

Here's me and my boy going to sleep last night! He's a sweetheart, and a snuggle bug! https://www.tiktok.com//video/6871435021044026630

#snuggles #mommasboy #wilmswarrior Tara Coombs () has created a short video on TikTok with music One Call Away. | | The sweetest thing you’ll see tonight | Follow us on here and on facebook at “Owens Army” | Snuggles with my warrior 💛💛💛 | ...

Owens not feeling well today. He doesn’t communicate super well so I’m not sure what’s going on. Keep him in your prayers please 🙏🏼

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJARN5Yq/

Owen says Hi this morning from his appointment! 🥰🥰🥰😍😍😍

Tara Coombs on TikTok Find us on Facebook: Owens Army

This will be Owen all next week and the week after 💛💛💛

Go gold for Owen!!

Children, teens and young adults often have chemotherapy as part of their treatment. During this treatment they are at risk of a potentially fatal complication called neutropenic sepsis.

As parents we check our children's temperature constantly and are never far from a thermometer. If their temperature goes above 38/100.4 degrees it means an urgent trip to hospital, a minimum of a three day admission hooked up to intravenous antibiotics and needing regular blood tests.

This happens EVERY time your child spikes a temperature...... EVERY TIME.

Please help us protect our children by ensuring you keep your poorly children at home whilst they're ill. It's in their best interest too.

Owen had his first Occupational Therapy visit on Friday via zoom since his Cancer diagnosis. She said he was off the charts with sensory seeking behaviors and suggested several items to help him get what he his seeking and suggested turning his closet into a sensory room for him. Which we did today. It was no easy task, see, it was our biggest closet in the house, so it was basically the whole house storage closet. So, with that being said, we added the sensory items to his list and about 1/2 of them have been bought! We couldn't be more thankful!!! I will post the link below if your interested in browsing around. We made all the sensory items a *highest* priority.

We will be purchasing any remaining sensory items off the list tomorrow night, and it still adds up to be quite a bit of money. However, we need the items for him, so if they still remain tomorrow night, we will buy the rest of the highest priority sensory items.

We thank you so much for your generosity, and for following sweet Owen, and our family. We thank you for being a part of our village and becoming part of our family.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2TW1IQCIX0JWL?ref_=wl_share

Guys, maybe say an extra prayer for us this weekend.

We share a lot of personal stuff on here, and there’s a few “things” here recently that we’re not sharing with everyone.

I gotta say, it feels like we’re being attacked by the adversary. Which if you look at it in another light, maybe it’s a good thing. Like, we’re doing a lot of good, so the adversary is seeking us out or something. I don’t know.

As we’re getting ready to take everything out of Owens closet, and convert it to a new space for him, we’re feeling overwhelmed. We got the kids in the *not wrecked* van, and pull out of our driveway to see we have a completely flat tire. Like on the rim flat.

What gives.
..
.

The lord gives.

We will remind ourselves to lean on him and to seek refuge in his word.