During Saturday’s season-opening 300-mile Nationwide Series race at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway, Eric McClure will run a special “Saving Owen” decal on the C-post of his No. 14 Hefty®/Reynolds® Camry. “Saving Owen” is personal to the 34-year-old driver, as Owen is the son of one of his college friends from Emory & Henry College in Emory, Virginia.
The seven-year-old second grader not only has a rare autoimmune liver disease that doesn’t allow medications to processes properly, he has also been diagnosed with pectus escavatum, a condition that affects both his breathing and the function of his heart. Surgery is imminent for young Owen and will take place at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in late spring/early summer. Not only is the surgery extensive but so is the recovery process as, often times, medications will actually attack his liver rather than fighting the intended target, thus creating a more complicated situation.
By running the special decal, McClure hopes to bring as much awareness to Owen’s situation as possible and is asking his fans to help Owen by purchasing a “Saving Owen” blue bracelet. The information can be found on www.facebook.com/SavingOwen. The proceeds will go towards helping the family with the expenses associated with the surgery.
