Teen thought he injured his leg playing football, but the injury was more serious than expected.

When Owen Jenkinson's leg started hurting after an Easter family gathering in 2022, he didn't think much of it. He had always been an active teenager and put it down to the kickabout he'd enjoyed with friends from church at the picnic that day. Little did he know that the pain was actually a signal of a much more devastating cause.

After visiting the hospital, Owen was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare cancer that appears in the bones or in the soft tissue around them. He was just 13 years old.

Before the diagnosis, Owen had an active lifestyle. He loved going to the gym, running, and playing football for his junior team, AFC Pogmoor U14s. He even did a parkrun every weekend.

But the night of Easter Monday was different. Owen woke up around 1.30am with a sharp pain in his leg, and they thought it might be a pulled muscle or ligament from playing football. Unfortunately, the pain persisted, even waking him up in the early hours of the following morning.

His mum Andrea took him to the hospital, where he was given morphine and paracetamol, but it was to no avail. One of the doctors said his leg looked bigger from one angle, so they ran a series of tests. Two weeks later, Owen was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma.

Despite all the pain and stress, Owen was determined to stay informed of everything regarding his treatment. He wanted to learn as much as he could about his condition for his biology GCSE.

Owen had to have nine rounds of chemo at Sheffield Children's Hospital. He was adamant he didn't want a feeding tube, so his parents made sure he had a supply of KFC and Wagamamas. He noticed his taste in food changed, and he was obsessed with salted pretzels. His parents would go around the shops to make sure they could find some for him.

At the hospital, Owen was introduced to Jemma, a Youth Support Coordinator working with the charity Teenage Cancer Trust. She not only supported Owen, but his family, too. Jemma was easy to chat to, and Owen felt able to talk to her about anything from what he was missing out on to how cancer was affecting his mental health. She was also there for general chats to distract him and take his mind off treatment.

Despite the challenges of his illness, Owen was determined to remain a teenager. Even in his lowest times of treatment, he was adamant about that. His message to others going through something similar is simple: "Find a way to still be a teenager, however hard it may be".
When Owen Jenkinson's leg started hurting after an Easter family gathering in 2022, he didn't think too much of it. After all, he had always been an active teenager and assumed it was due to the kickabout he had enjoyed with friends from church at the picnic that day. However, the pain persisted, even after he had been taken to the hospital. After a series of tests, doctors found the true, devastating cause; Ewing's Sarcoma - a rare cancer that appears in the bones or in the soft tissue around them.

Owen, who has just turned 15, remembers fondly his active lifestyle before he was diagnosed at 13; going to the gym, running, and playing football. "I did a parkrun every weekend," he recalls, "and enjoyed playing for my junior football team, AFC Pogmoor under 14s." On the day he first noticed the symptoms, he says: "I woke up around 1.30am on Easter Monday with a sharp pain in my leg. We thought that it must be a pulled muscle or ligament from playing football".

Unfortunately, the pain continued, even waking him up in the early hours of the following morning. His mum Andrea took him to Rotherham General Hospital A&E, where he was given morphine and paracetamol by the doctors. One of the doctors noticed his leg looked bigger from one angle, so he suspected something wasn't right. Owen was booked in two weeks later to attend Birmingham Children's Hospital for a bone biopsy, and two weeks later he received the news he was dreading; he was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma in his left femur.

Owen and his family were supported by Jemma, a Youth Support Coordinator working with the charity Teenage Cancer Trust. She was there to support not just Owen, but his family too, and Owen appreciated being able to chat to her about everything. He said: "We had general chats too to take my mind off treatment, and we talked about funny stuff to distract me".

Despite the difficult times, Owen tried to remain as much of a teenager as he could. He said: "Even in my lowest times of treatment, it was important to still be a teenager. I was adamant that I didn't want a feeding tube and my parents made sure that I had a supply of KFC and Wagamamas. I noticed my taste in food changed, and I was obsessed with salted pretzels. My parents would go around the shops to make sure they could find some for me".

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