In 2010, Joseph Owens was adopted from Kampala, Uganda, in East Africa. His dream came true recently when he was sworn in as an airman for a day at Dobbins Air Reserve Base.
The Children’s Hospital of Atlanta reports that Owens’ adoptive father, Dan, initially met him while traveling to Uganda with a friend who was doing a documentary.
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According to 11Alive, Dan and his wife, Shelly, decided to adopt Owens and his sister, Hannah, after they bonded.
Owens, however, suffered from recurrent, untreated ear infections while living in Uganda. He was adopted at the age of three, almost deaf from the serious condition that ruined his left eardrum.
Owens’ agony was so severe that he was unable to engage in regular childhood activities such as swimming and riding rollercoasters.
Owens’ adoptive parents then sought treatment at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta after concluding that he had missed too much of his life.
In February 2017, he had a successful operation to repair his eardrum, which allowed him to hear normally again, according to Children’s officials.
“Despite setbacks in life, Joseph is an amazing young man, full of life, and he radiates kindness,” Children’s officials stated.
He now attends Kennesaw Mountain High School and likes swimming.
He also cares for his adoptive father, Dan Owens, who suffered a stroke in November 2023 and is now homebound.
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