Owen’s tribute

(This was our parental address read at Owen’s funeral 1 week ago.)

Hello everyone. We want to thank you all for being here alongside us today and supporting us as we grieve through this hard, hard trial.

In the beginning of December last year, a nightmare we would never wish on any parent unfolded for us. Owen was diagnosed with pediatric diffuse high grade glioma, an incurable from of brain cancer. We did our research, we asked the questions. But there was no promising treatment anywhere for what he had, not even the alternative treatments we came across had any success from what we could find. There are many forms of brain cancer, what Owen had was one of the most aggressive, if not the most aggressive form. We watched him undergo brain surgery, we watched him endure radiation and chemotherapy treatments. And then we watched him decline before our eyes as the cancer aggressively grew. We watched our little boy be taken away bit by bit as he slowly lost function of his whole body. His behavior became very difficult. Then he could no longer speak, no longer walk, no longer move, no longer eat, no longer drink. And eventually, at 7 years old, he was taken from this life, peacefully passing away at home. Thousands of people prayed for healing for him.  The Lord answered that prayer, not in a way we necessarily wanted, but He did heal him! Owen is now perfectly healed and praising God Who gave him the strength to endure all the pain and suffering he went through, the same God Who has been carrying us through this journey so far.

Owen Cornelis Kattenberg was born on September 1, 2018 here in Chilliwack.  He made us parents, and taught us what unconditional love for your child meant. He was an easy baby and was absolutely adored by his grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. He was the first grandchild on my side of the family and the youngest BC grandchild on Rick’s side of the family, so as a baby and toddler he received a lot of love and attention.

Owen loved being a big brother to his siblings Logan, Carmen, Marijke, and Wesley.  He did so well every time we welcomed a new baby into our family.  He loved holding his baby siblings and getting down to their level to play and interact with them. He was the leader, and his siblings would follow him around, playing whatever he felt they should all be playing.  

Owen was so curious. He loved to learn and he loved to play outside. He would march around the yard and the field with Logan following behind him, playing whatever game came to mind that day.  He loved making forts in the woodpile, splashing in puddles, riding his bike, jumping on the trampoline, playing with the dogs, swimming, going to Grandpa’s barn to see the cows, going on walks by the lake with Opa and Oma, and even helping me in the kitchen sometimes.  As he reached school-age, we saw his love for learning.  Owen loved going to school. His library book was always a non-fiction learning book about some animal or machine. He was a smart boy and did well with his letters, reading, writing, and math.  He was also quite artsy and enjoyed doing crafts, playing with playdough, building lego, and colouring and painting pictures.

Owen really wanted to go on a ferry to Vancouver Island and fly somewhere on an airplane. It did not work to take him on these trip experiences as his cancer and treatments affected him and we also had a new baby in the midst of his cancer journey which kept us home a lot more. Since his diagnosis, he talked about becoming a scientist or doctor at BC Children’s hospital. All of the earthly hopes and dreams we had for our little boy won’t be happening anymore.  But the best thing we could wish for him has now happened to him…He is home with the Lord.

Owen loved learning about the Lord. He would ask so many questions, wondering about the Bible or about God. Those questions were such a blessing to us as it made us really think, and I would say even benefited our own relationship with the Lord as we guided Owen and his curiosity. He was so aware about things and truly had child-like faith. In one of the many conversations we had with him, he verbally told me he loved Jesus. Being able to speak to him about the things of the Lord, about God sacrificing His own son Jesus to pay the price for our sins, and seeing Owen’s response to that, really solidified our assurance of the home in heaven he would have. He memorized The Lord’s Prayer at school and he loved to open our meals with it at times. He also knew Psalm 23 – The Lord’s My Shepherd,and in the last months of his life we read through a beautiful book based on this psalm called Sammy and his Shepherd.

Owen loved books and stories, especially Bible stories.  He didn’t really have a favorite one because he enjoyed them all! Pastor John would bring Owen a book every time he came to visit since Owen’s diagnosis. We have a beautiful collection of Owen’s Bible story books and other story books that expound the gospel in a simple way. The Sunday school program from our church blessed Owen (and us) with the full 3 book set of the Little Pilgrims Progress while Owen was in the hospital last December. We read that whole set to Owen over and over and over. Rick read it the most, usually before bed. On the last night we tucked Owen in to bed, the night that he passed away, Rick read the first chapter of the 3rd book.  These are the first few lines of what Rick read that last night: “As my journey through this world came to an end, I dreamed one last time.  In my dream, I saw a beautiful white dove flying through the clouds. It was carrying a scroll fastened shut with a wax seal.” That scroll in the 3rd book of the series speaks about God’s commission to His people to be witnesses of Him and share their faith with the world. We pray that Owen’s child-like faith will be used for God’s honor and glory and to even draw many to faith in Christ.  

In the last couple months of his life, Owen loved to sit and listen to stories on a special story player or on an app that we have full of good clean stories and Bible stories.  Once stories became too much for his mind to handle and comprehend due to his cancerprogression, he listened to music every day. It was calming to him, especially when trying to manage the difficult effects his cancer had on him. What a blessing that we could have and use these means to minister to his little heart. Some of his favorite songs over the past couple years were Jesus Strong and Kind, Jesus Loves Me, Create in me a clean heart Oh God, The Lord’s My Shepherd, Psalter 400, and a fun silly one - It’s Raining Tacos.

We are so thankful to the Lord for Owen.  I would say our Owen, but really, he is God’s.  God entrusted him to us to love and raise and teach these past 7 years. It was a blessing and an honor being Owen’s earthly parents. The pain we feel cannot be described, it is unimaginable. There is a hole in our family that will always be here, it will never go away. We feel incomplete, there’s an empty chair at our table, we don’t have to pray for Owen anymore and that has been a strange thing to get used to. But even in the midst of our pain and sorrow, we are thankful for God’s care for us and we have to acknowledge His bountiful blessings throughout this journey.  

We see life differently now.  Our perspectives are changed and we have a new understanding of how the Lord can carry us when have nothing left and really lean on Him. The true definition of faith is trusting God even when we don’t understand His plan or purposes, when we don’t understand why he took Owen, His little lamb, to Himself at such a young tender age. We have cried out to Him so many times to help us, to help Owen.  And He has helped Owen, He has brought him home to heaven. And we trust He will continue to help us as we process, grieve and learn to function again while living with this pain.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

“He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young.” Isaiah 40:11

Our hands holding Owen’s hand.