Fort Myers teen finds healing through comics during leukemia battle and becomes published author

In every comic, like "The Adventures of Captain O'Mazing," there's a courageous hero, a volatile villain, and one epic battle. "It sounds more fun than doing homework. Oh, believe me, it sounds way more fun," said 17-year-old author Owen Jacoby. But, as Owen knows, real life isn't always as predictable as a comic. "It helped me through trying not to think about the bad situation," said Owen. Four years ago, Owen's mom passed away. Then, last year, he was diagnosed with leukemia. "Am I going to lose my son? Is he going to get better? You know, I didn't know what was going to happen at that point," said Owen's dad, Jody. Jody didn't know what his son's future would hold. What he did know was that someone was there to help Owen bring his story to life. Doug MacGregor is a cartoonist. Every week he volunteers at Golisano Children's Hospital to draw with the kids. "They're given the medicine that they need," said Doug. "But to use art and music. It's a healing therapy." For months, while Owen was in the hospital, Doug drew cartoons with him. "I always encourage them to go into art school or to take art and theater or music or whatever it might be," said Doug. Little did Doug know, his encouragement would inspire Owen to become a published author. "He says, 'Oh, by the way, I published my first book,'" said Doug. "And I said, 'Really, you got it done,' and he said, 'Yeah.'" Owen's now in remission and working on his seventh comic book. "Believe me, I feel like I could accomplish what no other 17-year-old would do before adulthood," said Owen. "I think he's going to have his own business, and he's going to sell a lot of cartoons with his own ability, so I don't worry about Owen," said Doug. "He has the confidence; he's going a long way." While Owen's real life may have had its own villains, today, he's writing his story. It's one that looks a lot brighter than before. "Make the best of a bad situation with the right motivation, positivity, beliefs, anything that could get them going," said Owen. You can check out Owen's book on Amazon here. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV