Boy with Burns on 98% of His Body Is Now Thriving After Nearly 50 Surgeries (Exclusive)

• Owen Mahan suffered burns to 98% of his body when he was two years old
• Now 16 years old, he has undergone 47 surgeries — and will have more in the future
• With the support of his mom, Susan Mahan, and Shriners Children’s Ohio, Owen inspires other children who have similar burn recovery journeys

At age 2, Owen Mahan was living in Lawrence, Kansas, when his biological mother filled a bathtub with hot water and drowned him. She waited two hours to seek medical attention. The toddler suffered second and third degree burns on 98% of his body.

Owen was given a “0% chance of survival” before being airlifted to Shriners Children’s Hospital — a pediatric burn facility — in Dayton, Ohio.

“I was told it was minute by minute and hour by hour,” his adoptive mother Susan Mahan tells PEOPLE.

Susan — from Brownsburg, Indiana — met Owen shortly after the accident when he needed a foster family.

“He was burned, he had wounds all over him. It was just chaos,” the 62-year-old recalls. “I loved him, but I had to know that I could provide for him. All parents have to have food and clothes, necessities, but for Owen it’s much more than that. I had to know that I could provide for him. And the Shriners told me they had that part covered.”

At that moment, she says, “My life changed forever.”

Owen Mahan.

Shriners Children’s Ohio

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Now 16, Owen has undergone 47 surgeries at Shriners over the years.

Owen’s initial operations involved debriding wounds and removing dead skin. He is also a bilateral amputee below the knee and has had numerous skin grafting procedures.

With his injuries listed as “critical”, Susan — who is a mother of nine and grandmother of seven — has learned to tend to Owen’s wounds at home between his hospital visits. And while Owen faces many more surgeries, Shriners will be there to support him.

Jessica Wagner, of Shriners Children’s Ohio, tells PEOPLE that the hospital will treat Owen until he’s about 21, which is when children stop growing, calling it a “continuum of care.”

“This is a work in progress,” says Susan. “We are not at the end of the rope. Our journey is not over with Shriners. We used to have more surgeries than now, but he will be 17 and we are not done yet. There are more surgeries in his future.”

Susan and Owen Mahan.

Shriners Children’s Ohio

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Since most of Owen’s life has been spent in hospital, Susan is delighted that her son is able to hold his head high.

“He has every right to be angry at the world, but he has a smile on his face every day,” she admits. “He was burned when he was a baby, he was only two years old. So this is the only life he knows. But he has such a good outlook on life.”

“He’s a jokester with his legs too, he even has a shirt that says $20 for a leg story,” she jokes. “He says, ‘Mom, it is what it is.’ And he’s so good at trying to inspire other kids who are going through similar things to him.”

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Owen Mahan.

Shriners Children’s Ohio

Wagner notes that Owen’s positivity and remarkable recovery is why he is a patient ambassador at the hospital.

“We are so thankful for Owen that he is willing to share his journey. It’s so inspiring for kids who are at the very beginning of their burn,” says Wagner. “And we don’t call them burn victims. They survived the burns.”

“Owen had a 0% chance of survival. God left him here for a reason. And I really think it’s to inspire others,” adds Susan.

Although he still has a long road to recovery, Owen — along with his mother — is making progress, telling PEOPLE, “Shriners is not just a hospital. They are my family. They gave me life. They helped me walk. They accept me for who I am.”

“I wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for them,” adds Susan.

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Source: HIS Education