Emily May Owen Biography Age, Career, and Life Facts

Emily May Owen is a British author, speaker, educator, and disability advocate. She is known for her honest storytelling about living with NF2 (Neurofibromatosis Type 2 / Schwannomatosis), her Christian faith, and how she has navigated intense medical challenges such as hearing loss and other physical impairments. Emily May Owen uses her platform to encourage others, especially young people, and to raise awareness about rare neurological conditions and disability.

Early Life & Age

• Hometown: Emily grew up in Leicester, UK.
• Diagnosis: At age 16, she was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis Type 2.
  • NF2 is a genetic condition that causes tumours to grow on nerve sheaths, often leading to hearing loss, balance issues, facial weakness, etc.
• Age / Birth Year Estimate: Emily’s exact date of birth isn’t widely published; several sources do not give a year. Based on her being diagnosed at 16, and her publications/events timeline, she is likely in her late 20s to early 30s (as of mid‑2025).

Major Life Events & Challenges

Emily’s life has been marked by several significant challenges, which she has met with resilience and openness.

1. Onset of NF2 in Teen Years
   The diagnosis around age 16 was life-challenging: multiple surgeries, treatments, uncertainty about hearing, balance, and general health.
2. Loss of Hearing
   Emily gradually experienced hearing loss. The loss was sudden in some instances (including losing hearing overnight at age 21).
3. Physical Impairments
   Alongside hearing loss, NF2 has caused facial weakness and mobility issues (difficulty walking or needing assistance/crutches) due to tumour growth or surgery.
4. Adaptation & Faith
   Her Christian faith plays a central role in her life, providing strength, hope, and a framework to interpret her experiences. She has often spoken about trust, identity, and finding purpose despite adversity.

Education & Early Ambitions

• Before her illness, Emily enjoyed music, sport, and had ambitions of being a teacher.
• Her medical challenges forced changes, but she did not abandon her love of writing, reading, communicating, and sharing her stories.

Career Writing, Speaking, Advocacy

Emily May Owen has built a multi‑faceted career around her story and the values she holds. These are the major components:

Author & Books

• She has written several books, many drawing on her personal journey. For example “My Diary: Emily May Owen”, written in diary form for older children (ages ~8‑12), where she shares what it was like to face deafness as a teenager, surgeries, and the emotional side of her experiences.
• Her writings cover themes such as identity, faith, self‑worth, belonging, dealing with loss, mental health, perseverance.
• Another book of hers is Still Emily, which is more memoir‑style, reflecting on intracranial surgeries, hearing, balance, medical risk, and her re‑evaluation of dreams and life plans.

Speaking, Outreach & Teaching

• Emily regularly speaks at events — both in Christian circles and secular settings — covering a variety of topics including living life to the full, faith, communication, disability awareness, her personal story, deaf awareness, etc.
• She has been involved with outreach organizations. For many years, she served as a trustee for Nerve Tumours UK, which supports people with NF and raises awareness. From 2012 until 2024, she was trustee; in 2024 she became a charity ambassador.

Other Education Certifications & Skills

• In addition to her writing and speaking, she holds various certificates and has trained in relevant fields: e.g. her skills around communication, mental health informed practice, etc.
• The way she blends education, writing, outreach, and personal story creates an impact especially among younger readers, church groups, schools, etc.

Publications & Work Highlights

Recognition & Awards

• In 2018, Emily received the Association of Christian Writers Award for Outstanding Contribution to Christian Publishing.
• In 2019, she was nominated for the Positive Role Model (Disability) Award at the National Diversity Awards, in recognition of her openness about NF2 and how she uses her experiences to help others.

Public Impact & Advocacy

• Emily has been a strong voice in bringing awareness of NF2 / Schwannomatosis, a relatively rare neurological condition. By sharing her own honest struggles (medical, emotional, identity), she helps others understand what it’s like to live with medical uncertainty and disability.
• She emphasizes communication — not just literal hearing/speech but how to communicate presence, identity, faith, hope.
• She offers a model of resilience: though major parts of her life (her hearing, many future plans) have been altered or lost, she continues to live a purposeful life.

Personal Traits & Values

From her public statements, interviews, books, and online “About” sections, here are values and personality traits often associated with Emily:

• Resilience & Courage: Facing multiple surgeries, hearing loss, balance issues, yet continuing to write, speak and serve.
• Honesty & Vulnerability: She is open about fear, loss, doubts as well as faith, hope, joy.
• Faith‑Centered: Christianity is foundational—her identity in Christ appears central to how she frames her life and choices.
• Empathy & Service: She invests time helping others — speaking, raising awareness, working with charities, encouraging young people.
• Gratitude & Perspective: In her writing she often reflects on what remains, what can still be appreciated, even where much has changed.

Current Status & Where She’s At

• Emily is active as an author, motivational speaker and educator. Her work continues to include writing books, speaking at conferences/events, doing outreach with both Christian and public audiences.
• Her role with Nerve Tumours UK shifted from trustee to charity ambassador as of 2024, showing ongoing involvement in advocacy.
• She continues to produce content — books, devotional materials, blogs, etc. Her recent works have been used in church groups, youth groups, schools.

What Is Less Known / Unclear

• Her exact date of birth, hence precise age, is not publicly confirmed in trustworthy sources.
• Details about her early family (parents, siblings) beyond what she voluntarily shares are sparse.
• Her financial situation (income, net worth) is not a focus of her public presence, and credible data are not widely available.
• Some online rumours or “celebrity biography” sites sometimes mislabel or confuse people with similar names; care should be taken to use reliable sources when verifying facts.

Why Emily May Owen Story Resonates

Emily May Owen life and work strikes a chord for several reasons:

1. Authentic struggle with serious challenges — what she has gone through is not trivial, and she doesn’t sugar‑coat it.
2. Transformation of adversity into purpose — instead of retreating, she opted to share, teach, and help others.
3. Faith and identity beyond loss — many people experience loss (of dreams, of physical abilities); Emily’s story offers a lens through which to question, rebuild, or find meaning.
4. Useful for many audiences — her writing for children, devotional material, public talks, make her story relevant across ages and walks of life.

Summary

Emily May Owen is a British author, speaker, educator, and advocate known for her courageous journey with NF2, her gradual loss of hearing and physical challenges, and the way she has turned those experiences into messages of strength, faith, and hope. Though much about her early life (exact age, family) remains private, her published works, awards, and public speaking give a clear portrait of someone who has embraced vulnerability, chosen to know her identity in Christ, and committed to supporting others. Her books like My Diary: Emily Owen and Still Emily, her involvement with Nerve Tumours UK, and her recognition in disability advocacy all mark her as a significant voice in her field.