Travis Electrical Service is a proud community supporter, and the sponsor of Clarksville Now’s Nurses Week celebration. Clarksville Now and Travis Electrical Service will be highlighting nurses all week long. We’re thankful for their support and commitment to the Clarksville community.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Anthony “Tony” Owen, RN, is a pediatric oncologist nurse who cares for children undergoing chemotherapy at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

But for the last eight months he’s been undergoing his own battle.

The 49-year-old nurse was diagnosed with Stage 3 colorectal cancer on September 18, 2019.

His own cancer battle was extremely hard, as he underwent chemotherapy every two weeks. Despite the struggle he continued working, drawing strength from his patients.

“My journey has been like every other person when you are first diagnosed.  Everyone has fear initially and think about all of the ‘what ifs’,” Owen said. “I’ve worked as a pediatric oncology nurse for 17 years and have more cancer knowledge than most people ever want to know. This experience has helped me stay positive and always look forward.  Watching children battle and win has provided the hope and determination I need.”

Sabine Owen, his wife of 21 years, said while her husband battled cancer, often sick, he continued showing up for the patients and his coworkers and even more so when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the medical community.

“I am extremely proud of Tony.  He could have taken medical leave and stayed home for several months after his initial diagnosis,” Sabine said. “Even during this current COVID-19 crisis, there was no way Tony could bring himself to let his coworkers down. It’s just not in him. There have been so many days that Tony felt weak and tired. He still got up and went in to help kids with their treatments.  His favorite place to work is the Pediatric Oncology Infusion Clinic. If he can make a little one smile or giggle, it’s all worth it.”

Recently, he received good news.

“Tony finished his last round of chemo on April 20, just two weeks ago. He had scans on April 27 and went to work immediately after and waited for his results,” Sabine Owen said. “Scans were clear and he is in remission!”

While excited about the news, Anthony Owen said he’s learned from the experiences of his many pediatric oncology patients that the battle is often long and to take it one day at a time.

Pediatric Nursing found him

Being a pediatric oncology nurse was a career that found him while he was doing his internship for another career path.  Anthony Owen obtained his BS in Healthcare Administration at Western Kentucky University (WKU), but his love for children naturally led him to his current career.

“I love kids and I was a nanny for a professor in college.  I worked at Opryland in the early 90s and enjoyed working the kid attractions and ensuring they enjoyed their time at Opryland,” he said.  “Honestly, I did not think I would want to take care of sick children until I completed my pediatric clinical rotation at Vanderbilt. Working with pediatric oncology patients and their families, the pediatric oncology nurse experiences more love and pain than other profession.”

His instructor approached him after the first clinical and shared that he was great with the kids and their parents and should consider pediatric nursing.  The instructor worked at the Children’s Hospital and recommended him for a patient care tech role or care partner.

Owen applied and was hired the same week. He has worked at the hospital since October 1997 and as a pediatric nurse since June 1998.

He later obtained his Associates from Aquinas College, his certification in pediatric nursing (CPN) in 2008, and later his Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from WKU. He plans to complete his MSN in Nursing Education at Austin Peay State University. He has taught as a part-time pediatric clinical instructor at APSU since 2016. 

His passion for caring for children at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital has not waned but become stronger since his career began.

“I cannot imagine working anywhere else.  It has been amazing to watch the children’s hospital go from being a few floors in the adult hospital, to a free standing facility, with clinics and multiple specialties, and it continues to expand and grow,” Anthony Owen said. “I have been blessed to be a part of so many children’s lives and individual journeys, and continue to do so in any way I can.  I enjoy working with  my fellow nurses and health care team and watching how they interact and modify their nursing practice and care to ensure the best treatment for each child and family.  I have learned that I truly enjoy teaching and mentoring pediatric nursing students and ensuring a great pediatric clinical experience for my students.”

The Nashville native has lived in Clarksville since 1998, and has three children: Katie Bond-Hendricks, 30, Lance Owen, 18, and Zoe Owen, 17. The family has one dog, Beckham, a 2 year old Labradoodle.

When submitting her husband for Clarksville Now and Travis Electrical Service’s promotion, Sabine gave a heartfelt description of her husband’s devotion.

“Tony, you are my rock! Your resilience and strength has helped you push through and overcome this obstacle,” she said. ” We have our whole lives ahead of us to celebrate. We love you so much!”